


Jon Snow and the Philosopher's Stone

by StarkSisters



Series: ASOIAF Harry Potter AU aka Jon Snow is Harry Potter [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Anti Rhaegar, F/F, F/M, Jon Snow is Harry Potter, M/M, Slow Burn, Will add characters as I go, just writing them to prepare you guys, none of these relationships will occur in this fic, not healthy Daenerys Targaryen/Khal Drogo, they will happen later on in the series, will add relationships as I go - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2020-10-05 09:30:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 50,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20486660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarkSisters/pseuds/StarkSisters
Summary: His whole life Jon Snow has lived with his mercurial uncle, dog-obsessed aunt, and annoying cousin. He lives in a tiny basement and hasn't celebrated anything for ten years, but all is going to change with an encounter with letter delivering owls and a red-headed man who is suspects is a giant. He discovers a magical world, friends, another purpose for a broomstick and a direction in life because HE IS A WIZARD. But with that, he discovers a terrible truth, the truth about his blood and a dangerous prophecy. He will have to make a choice between honor and blood.





	1. The Boy who Lived

**Author's Note:**

> So I am not a good writer. I have always struggled with putting thoughts into words. To improve on my writing skills I decided to try writing a fanfiction which is basically a what-if ASOIAF characters were in Harry Potter. While obviously it is a Harry Potter story, I am going to change quite a few things to fit the characters and story better and remove certain issues I had with Harry Potter.

It was like every other Monday morning in Mr. Khal’s household. His beautiful wife was trying to feed their son but Rhaego kept smacking the spoon away. “I guess, mashed peas, green beans & asparagus isn’t his favorite,” he said as he ruffled his son’s thick, black hair.

“No. He is being picky. My son can’t be a picky eater.”, Daenerys huffed and glared at him as if it was his fault making him chuckle. Maybe it was his fault considering their son was a miniature of him with black hair and brown eyes. While his son resembled him completely, he does believe that he would grow up to be more like his mother. Especially seeing them both with their matching pouts.

He grabbed his lunch bag and kissed his wife, “I’ll be leaving work earlier than you. I’ll pick him up from daycare today.”

Drogo slammed his front door shut and grimaced remembering how much his wife hated his habit.

“Shhh”, he tried to move the cat away from its perch on top of his mailbox.

Instead of scramming away, it just stared at him and tilting its head. _“I’ll let one of the dogs deal with you”_, he thought as he glared at the cat. Daenerys’ dogs were vicious beasts who still terrified him. The only people who dared to go near them were Daenerys and shockingly his son. He still remembers the fight they had about the dogs when she was pregnant. He didn’t believe that it would be safe to have their child near them but shockingly they didn’t mind Rhaego.

“Shhh”, he said flapping his hands at the pair of owls on his bike.

“_Owls, in the daytime. Looks like the world is going to end sooner than I thought.”_ He was no conspiracy theorist but owls in daytime obviously was surely an indicator. Only if Drogo would have looked at his mirrors, he would have seen the numerous owls on the roof of his house.

As he drove along to the fire station, he couldn’t help but notice that the sidewalks had more people than normal. People in weird clothes. People in cloaks and pointed hats. 

_“I don’t remember being informed about a convention being held today. I should check once I reach the station,” _he thought as he watched an old man in the bright violet cloak with numerous stars cross the road with a lady in eye-watering yellow wearing what looked like a dead bird on her head. 

_“Weirdos”_, he shook his head at them. Unfortunately, he never got a chance. From the moment he entered the station to when his shift ended, he didn’t even get a minute to sit down.

* * *

“Firecrackers inside the house, Dany. That Idiot was bursting firecrackers inside the house. And instead of saying sorry that bastard starts hugging me and telling me we need to celebrate and tried to grab the firecrackers he had not burst,” he complained cutting into his lasagna.

Daenerys nodded listening to him to complain.

“And don’t get me started on the owls. 12 calls to rescue owls. Owls stuck in chimneys. There was an owl that got stuck in a mailbox. Mailbox, Dany!” he screamed in frustration.

“Owls?” Daenerys questioned him with eyes wide with worry and he remembered the last time he had seen an owl.

5 years ago, an arsonist lit Daenerys’ parent house on fire. Those terrified eyes take him back to the day he rescued her. He remembers her face when she was told her adopted father, Willem Darry was killed in the fire. She had no other relative, so he and his fellow firefighters had helped her with holding a funeral for her father and her pet owl. A week later she called him terrified that someone was in her house. Her fears were reasonable considering Denys Darklyn is still running free. She would call him at least twice a week terrified out of her mind thinking that he had come back to finish the job. She had to go through months of therapy to overcome her fear and bought her three dogs to help her feel safe. A month after she stopped feeling the need to call him terrified, he asked her to marry him.

“I don’t think this has to do anything with them,” he grumbled putting his fork and knife down not feeling hungry suddenly.

He gets up and moves to the kitchen.

Daenerys followed him, “But what if”.

“Not now Dany” he interrupted screaming at her.

“How many times do we have to do this?” he smashed his plate on the ground in front of her, shattering it.

The dogs began barking as he grabbed her arms and shook her, “This is my house. And in my house, we don’t talk about those freaks. Do you understand?” he screamed at her face.

She looked at him with very big violet eyes not responding to him.

“I SAID. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?”.

Rhaego’s cry pierced through. Daenerys tried to move but he refused to let her go.

“Yes, yes. I promise never to talk about them”, she said.

He let her go and walked out of the dining room growling, “Clean this mess up while I’ll look after my son”.

* * *

The street was silent. A cat sat on a mailbox curling its tail around as an owl hooted out in the distance. Out of nowhere, a man appeared in the middle of the street. He wore a navy-blue cloak with a matching hat. He flicked a lighter. Balls of light floated from the streetlamps towards the lighter, shrouding the streets in a blanket of darkness. He walked towards the mailbox.

Looking at the cat, he sighed, “Mordane, have you been waiting here the whole day?”.

Suddenly, the cat transformed into a woman wearing a long dark grey cloak.

“Jon, is it true? Is he?” she asked walking towards him.

“Yes, Aerys is dead,” he said looking at the sky.

Mordane hisses at him, “Arryn”.

“His son Rhaegar was killed by,” before he could finish Mordane interrupted him.

“I don’t care about that immoral bastard. What about Snow?” she asked.

Jon’s grievous look told her everything she needed to know.

She sniffed, “Have Catelyn and Ned been informed? I know they have a three-year-old, one-year-old and Catelyn is pregnant again, but they can take him in. They will take care of him.”

“She is going to have twins Mordane. They are good honorable people but having 5 children under the age of 5 won’t be easy. He needs to be with his blood,” Jon tried to explain but she wouldn’t listen to him.

“I have kept a watch on them today. Daenerys is a good woman, but she is a squib. She can’t protect him, and she is still traumatized from the fire. Everything looks nice from the outside, but I don’t trust her husband. He has a temper,” she tried to explain.

Jon looked at her defiantly, “It is not your choice. Tormund is bringing him.” 

Mordane looked shocked “Tormund? Can you trust a wildling with something this important?”.

Before Jon could reply they heard the rumble of a motorcycle. A motorcycle appeared from the sky with a man about eight-foot-tall with a bushy red beard and hair. He landed with a bump causing Mordane to flinch. He dismounted and walked towards them. Nestled in his arm covered with a black blanket with red embroidery was a baby. Mordane and Jon peered to see a pale one-year-old with jet black hair with a very distinctive feature: a scar running from his hairline over his left eye to an inch below his eye.

“She named him after me, Jon Targaryen,” Jon whispered.

“She named him Jon Snow. Never a Targaryen”, Mordane hissed glaring at him.

Jon took the baby from Tormund as Tormund began to cry.

“He is so tiny and has already suffered so much. Wouldn’t stop crying in the crib but he stopped the moment I picked him up,” Tormund started sobbing while Mordane patted his arm awkwardly.

“There, there Tormund. Stop crying,” she flicked her wand levitating a feather and turned it into a handkerchief in front of him.

Tormund grabbed it and blew his nose noisily, “Let me tell him goodbye”.

Tormund leaned over Jon giving him a soft kiss over his scar, “Be safe Jon. I need to go and return Arthur’s bike to Ashara. He will kill me if comes to know I have taken it.”

Arryn placed Jon delicately in a basket near the front door of the Khal household. Mordane turned back into the cat and walked away while Tormund kick-started the bike flying away. Jon flicked his lighter, returning the light to the streetlamps and vanishing without a trace. Jon rolled over inside his bundle of blankets with his small hand closing on the letter as he slept on, not knowing he is special and famous, nor that he will be woken up the next morning by his Aunt Daenerys’ scream when she opens the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he will be spending the next few weeks being prodded and pinch by his cousin Rhaego. And he will never know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country are holding up glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Jon Snow -- the boy who lived!"


	2. The Vanishing Glass

“Wrrrrrr.” Like every morning the sudden whirling of the heating unit woke Jon up.

He stretched his arm out trying to find his glasses in the dark. He wouldn’t risk getting out of his bed without his glasses. The last time he had done that, he bumped into his bedside table causing his glasses to fall and snap. His uncle refused his aunt Daenerys’ request for new glasses saying that he needs to learn a lesson for his carelessness and will have to wear the broken glasses for a year. He managed to fix it with duct tape, but he didn’t think duct tape would be enough to fix it if it broke again. He finally found his glasses and walked up the stair to the living room.

Young Jon was an ordinary-looking skinny boy with knobby knees and skinny arms. The first thing you would notice looking at him would be his unusually long shoulder-length curly black hair. He was the only boy in his public school that could have his hair that long. His teachers had given up a long time ago. Aunt Dany had to show them pictures to prove that she had taken him to a barber and gotten him a crew cut only to have his hair to grow back to shoulder length the very next morning. Finally, the teachers stopped calling his uncle Drogo with their complaints. If you would look at him closely, you would notice the long scar running from his hairline down to about an inch below his left lilac-grey eye.

He pushed the long sleeves of jumper up his arms. Rhaego’s hand me downs never fit him. The only saving grace of going to a public school instead of the private school Rhaego went to, was the fact that he didn’t have to wear his old uniforms. After finishing his morning routine and putting the kettle on for tea, he entered the ‘dog room’ as Rhaego called it. It was the only room Aunt Daenerys’ dogs were allowed and the only room uncle Drogo refused to enter. Even after having them for around 12 years, his Aunt’s Dobermanns never accepted his uncle. It was weird how every dog seemed to have their person. Drogon was most affectionate with Daenerys and Viserion was closest to Rhaego. Even he had a dog he liked the best. Rhaegal wouldn’t stop barking whenever uncle Drogo yelled at him. He hooked the leashes to the dogs and took them on their regular morning walk.

_“More like morning run,”_ he thought running.

* * *

As he opened the front door, he heard Rhaego screaming as he ran down the staircase towards the pile of presents on the dining table. Khal Drogo sat, reading his morning newspaper sipping his tea.

“Happy Birthday my boy!” he hugged Rhaego smacking his back.

“Thanks, Dad! I can’t wait to count my presents”.

Jon dragged the dog back to their room as the barked and struggled to go towards Rhaego. The last time Jon allowed the dogs to enter some other room; he wasn’t allowed to have dinner for the week. He enters the dining room just as Rhaego finished counting his presents.

“...and 23. That’s 2 fewer presents than last year,” Rhaego pouted crossing his arms.

“Do not worry, we can buy two presents today at the zoo,” Drogo said looking fondly at his son.

“He has turned 11. It is time we begin reducing the number of birthday presents,” Daenerys kissed her son’s head trying to make him understand.

“No! My son gets whatever he wants!” Drogo growled slamming his paper down glaring at Daenerys as she sits down on her chair.

Jon tried to walk as close to the walls trying to appear invisible and not be dragged into today's argument.

“It’s fine dad. I still have 23 presents,” Rhaego whispered in a small voice.

“Look at what you have done. He is now upset on his birthday because of you,” he glared at Dany.

Jon grabbed the toast from the toaster and spread grape jam on them. He sat down and ate quietly as an awkward silence descends the room. The ring of the phone pierced the room. Daenerys got up and picked up the phone.

“Hello. This is the Khal house.”

“Yes.”

“Oh no. Is she alright?”

“Yes. Sure, I understand. Tell her to do not worry about it.”

“Bye.”

“Who was that?” Drogo demanded.

“It was Jhiqui. She fell down the staircase and her husband had to take her to the hospital. They cannot babysit Jon today,” Daenerys answered looking worried towards Jon.

“What about Doreah?” Drogo suggested.

“She left for a hiking trip two days ago. She is going to be back next week. And Irri and Rakharo are dropping Jhogo today for the trip to the zoo and a sleepover because they are planning a date night. I can’t ask them to babysit Jon,” Daenerys explained frustrated.

“He can come with us. I don’t mind it Dad. That can be one of my presents,” Rhaego looked at Drogo pleadingly.

“Fine. I am not going to wait for you. Get ready we are going to leave the moment Jhogo is here,” Drogo sighed.

* * *

Jon sat squished between Rhaego and Jhogo. Jon had a hard time concealing his excitement. This was going to be the first time he would be visiting a zoo or any fun place. Rhaego placed his hand on his leg to stop it from bouncing. Jon turned towards his cousin who was sporting a matching grin. Rhaego could be a brat and insensitive but he never meant to hurt him. He remembered the tantrum Rhaego had thrown when Uncle Drogo decided that they were too old to be sharing a room and moved Jon to the basement.

“FUCK! These stupid teenage motorcyclists give all of us a bad name. The fucking government giving license to anybody,” Drogo screamed at the biker who just cut lanes.

Daenerys turned towards Drogo and whispered, “Don’t curse in front of the children.”

The Harley Davidson reminded Jon of his most recent dream.

“I had a dream about a flying motorcycle with a giant riding it”, Jon blurted out causing Drogo to swerve.

Aunt Dany turned around; her eyes wide in shock.

“What did I tell you boy about talking about unnatural things?”, Uncle Drogo screamed at him.

“It was just a dream” Jon whispered.

“Drogo you are going to miss the exit”, Daenerys tried to distract Drogo.

She really didn’t want to create a scene in front of Jhogo. She remembered what happened the last time Drogo had yelled at Jon in front of their neighbor Daario. They had to spend the next two months under the scrutiny of child services.

Jon sometimes wished he had a flying motorbike to escape this hellhole.

* * *

Jon followed the rest licking the vanilla soft serve ice cream. He couldn’t believe his luck. He was standing with Aunt Dany, while Drogo took Rhaego and Jhogo to the ice cream cart to get them sundaes when the ice cream lady asked Drogo what Jon would like. To avoid the awkwardness, he bought Jon the cheapest ice cream possible. Jon didn’t care it was not a sundae. He only got to eat ice cream during school field trips.

“Want to go to the reptile house next, Dany? I know how much you love the ugly lizards?” Drogo wrapped his arms around Daenerys’ shoulder making her giggle.

“Iguanas aren’t ugly,” Daenerys giggled trying to playfully push him causing him to wrap his arms around her.

Rhaego rolled his eyes at his parents’ antics. They dumped their trash and entered the reptile house. Drogo and Daenerys walked towards the Iguanas while Rhaego and Jhogo ran to find the largest the most terrifying snake. Jon wanted to follow them, but he wasn’t in the mood to run around. He looked at Rhaego knocking at a snake’s glass wall trying to make it do something and decided to start exploring from the right and walk around. He had never seen so many types of snakes or turtles. He made sure to read the descriptions for every reptile.

Jon moved to the next snake. It was probably the largest snake in the reptile house. 

_“Hisssssssssss”_.

He watched the snake slither towards him and stand up. Jon stared at it and couldn’t look away.

“Hey”, Jon whispered looking at the snake. 

_“Hello”_, the snake hissed back.

Jon ‘s eyes widen, and he jumped back in shock. 

_“You should have seen the look on your face”,_ the snake laughed at him.

“How is this possible?”, Jon asked turning his head left and right to see if anyone else could hear the same thing he was hearing.

No one was paying any attention to him. 

_“You are the intelligent human. You tell me.”_

“Rhaego stop disturbing the reptile,” he heard Daenerys scold Rhaego.

“Sorry about my cousin. He is just excited. It’s his birthday today.” 

_“We are used to it. He can’t be worse than those 1st graders. They ran towards my glass window, would look at me and run screaming away only to run back and repeat it again and again.”_.

“So where are you from?” Jon asked not wanting to anger the snake.

The snake’s tail rises and pointed at the board displaying information about the snake.

‘Boa Constrictor, Brazil.’

“So, how is Brazil?” Jon asked.

The snake tapped the glass pointing towards the display.

‘This specimen was bred in the zoo.’

“Oh.”

“Dad look at this,” was the only warning Jon got before Rhaego came barreling towards him.

Jon ducked out his way to avoid getting hit from one of Rhaego’s flailing arms. Unfortunately, he failed to see his uncle and get pushed back. Rhaego has his face against the glass. Suddenly, he falls into the enclosure. The snake strikes and leaped out. Drogo got out of the way and Daenerys screamed as the snake slithered past them towards Jon.

“_Thanks, little guy. I am off to Brazil._”, the snake hissed as he slithered past other screaming visitors.

Jon turned back towards the Khals to see three terrified faces staring at the snakes slithering away.

* * *

The ride back home was completely silent. Jhogo had fallen asleep. It had been a harrowing experience. And all the kids were exhausted. They were questioned by the zoo authorities for over an hour about the incident. Drogo was pissed. The authorities had informed them that there was going to be an investigation and they would get a mail about it. One of the security guards commented that Rhaego had broken he rules about touching the glass window but what had everyone stumped was the lack of any glass pieces.

Once Drogo parked the car, Rhaego dragged Jhogo into his room. Jon walked quietly behind Dany and Drogo.

Before he could make his escape, Drogo grabbed his arm, “You are going to go straight to your room and no dinner for a week.”

Jon tried to argue back, “But I didn’t do...”

“One month. And if you open your dame mouth again, I’ll make it three months.”

Jon slinked back quietly. As he lies down on his mattress, he hoped the snake makes to Brazil and enjoys his life free. As he falls asleep, he dreams of escaping and being free, riding on a flying motorbike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments on the first chapter. I am still trying to figure out the story arcs for every character and how they are going to fit in the Harry Potter world. Please comment if you guys have any suggestions. 
> 
> Signing out...


	3. The Letters from No One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reposted because for some reason it wasn't showing up in the tags.

Daenerys knew she was stuck in a nightmare but no matter how much she tried she couldn’t wake up from it. She was no longer Khaleesi Daenerys, wife of Khal Drogo but a young girl Daenerys Darry, a college-going teen who was back home for summer. She was sitting on the dining table with her father Willem and his new colleague Denys Darklyn. Her father worked as a technician with the phone company.

“Dany, do you mind grabbing some Apple Pie for us from the kitchen?”, her father asked.

He was one of the nicest men she had known but he was very protective. They never had any guests before so coming home to be told they were going to have a guest over for dinner was a shock.

“Sure, Papa.”

She got up and entered the kitchen. As she was cutting the pie, she heard a crash. Daenerys ran to the dining room to see her father on the floor.

As she moved towards her father, she heard, “I would advise you to stand where you are and do not dare to take a step forward Princess.”

She looked at Darklyn who was holding a stick pointed at her and before she can say anything he screamed, “STUPEFY”.

As Daenerys dreams of a red light darting forward from that man’s stick towards her, she wakes up screaming.

Daenerys cannot stop sobbing. She hadn’t had a nightmare for over a year. Her nightmares were always about the incident that began her real-life nightmare. She never dreamt about what happened after the red light. She never dreamt about that mad man torturing her father. She never dreamt about her struggling to move even though nothing tied her to the chair she was sitting on. She never dreamt about Darklyn sobbing next to her repeatedly crying that he was sorry.

“Dany, Yer Jalan Atthirari Anni do you want to talk about it?” Drogo asked hugging Daenerys tightly.

Daenerys continued sobbing into Drogo’s chest as he kissed the top of her head.

Once Daenerys stopped shaking Drogo whispered, “I’ll go and grab some water for you.”

Drogo walked down the stairs and noticed the kitchen lights are on. 

_If it is that boy, I am going to lose it. _

Rhaego jumped in shock when Drogo entered the kitchen.

“Take your time my boy. I’m just going to grab some water and be out of your hair.”

Rhaego gave his father a nervous smile as he continued making some sandwich.

Rhaego waited for fifteen minutes before sneaking up the stairs. He made sure that his parents' lights were off again before sneaking back downstairs. He grabbed the sandwiches and tried to knock the door to the basement as softly as possible. The door opened with a creak causing Rhaego to wince. Jon’s pale face was barely visible. Rhaego handed him the sandwich without a word and ran back to his room. He still felt guilty. When Jon’s punishment had begun Rhaego felt bad. It didn’t make any sense to him that Jon was being punished for the accident in the zoo. He decided to sneak a bag of chips to Jon for dinner. Unfortunately, his father caught Jon throwing the empty bag in the trash. Jon was punished further with no dinner for the entire summer and no leaving his room for a month. Rhaego only got to see Jon for breakfast and lunch and got glimpses of Jon when he went to use the bathroom. Tomorrow morning Jon’s punishment would end. He still won’t get dinner for the remainder of summer, but he would at least be able to leave his room. As Rhaego went to sleep, he began planning the things he and Jon can do from tomorrow.

* * *

Jon tried to hold the leashes tight and grab the mail at the same time. He put the dogs in their room and began sorting through the mail. Uncle Drogo hated going through junk mail, so Jon made sure to separate the mail. There was a bill, a letter from Uncle Drogo’s uncle Cohollo and finally a heavy letter. The letter felt weird. It wasn’t made of normal paper but something heavier and rougher. He first noticed a weird symbol that looks like coats of arm. He read the address:

_Mr. J. Snow-Targaryen_

_The Basement_

_4, Privet Drive_

_Little Whinging_

_Surrey_

Jon never got any mail. No one referred to him as Snow-Targaryen, his birth name. Everyone referred to him as Jon Snow because that is what his aunt wanted. He walked into the kitchen placing the remaining letters on the dining table. He sat down on his usual chair and was about to open his mail.

“What do you have there, Jon?” Rhaego asked him.

“It is a letter for me,” Jon replied still in shock.

Before Jon could open his letter, it is snatched from his hand.

“Who would send a letter to you?”

Jon looked at Uncle Drogo as he turned pale looking at the letter in shock.

“Is the letter really for Jon?” Rhaego asked climbing on his chair trying to get a glimpse of the letter.

“OUT. Both of you get out now,” Drogo screamed at Rhaego and Jon.

Both the boys looked at Drogo terrified and in shock.

“OUT,” Drogo screamed at Jon causing them both scram out of the room.

Before Jon could run back to his room Rhaego grabbed the back of his shirt pulling him back towards the closed door of the dining room. Rhaego put his finger to his lips and both sneaked quietly putting their ears against the door.

“I told you that bastard is going to turn out to be one of those freaks”, they heard Drogo scream.

“We need to be quiet. What if we don’t reply. Maybe they will leave us alone”, they heard Daenerys whisper.

The boys had to strain themselves trying to listen to the couple’s discussion.

“They better leave us alone or else we will have to take some drastic measures.”

“What will we do?”

“Leave it to me. How did the…”

Jon and Rhaego tried their best but they no longer could hear their discussion. They both looked at each other and silently decided to go back to their rooms.

* * *

Jon stayed in his room for hours waiting for Aunt Dany to call him for lunch. Aunt Dany sent Rhaego to call him. When he entered the dining room, everyone else had already had their lunch. He was the only one eating. After finishing his lunch, he went back to his room. He laid down his bed, thinking who could have sent him the letter. Was it from one of his parents’ friends? He didn’t know much about his parents. He knew his father was Aunt Daenerys’ brother and that’s it.

There was a knock at the basement door. He got up and opened the door to see Uncle Drogo looming over him.

“Pack your things. We are moving you to Rhaego’s spare room”, Uncle Drogo threw bags at him.

“Where is my letter?” Jon asked him.

“It was a mistake. The letter wasn’t for you. I burned it,” Drogo said shortly.

“It was mine. They knew about the basement,” Jon replied angrily.

“SILENCE,” Drogo screamed glaring at Jon.

Jon ran back downstairs with the bag. He stuffed the bags with all his possessions. He didn’t have a lot of things and most of them fit into them. He lugged his bags up the stairs into the spare room. The room was usually filled with Rhaego’s video games and toys, but it was now completely empty. He ran downstairs and poked his head into the living room to find someone to help him with his mattress.

Rhaego was sniffling in Daenerys arms. Daenerys looked at him with wide eyes.

“I need help with moving my mattress”, Jon whispered.

Uncle Drogo sighed and got up from his armchair. They both moved his mattress from the basement to his new room. Jon was exhausted with all the moving and fell asleep.

* * *

Jon tried to hold the leashes tight and grab the mail at the same time. There was a couple of bills and to Jon’s surprise another heavy letter. He read the address:

_Mr. J. Snow-Targaryen_

_The Smallest Bedroom_

_4, Privet Drive_

_Little Whinging_

_Surrey_

Jon knew if he wanted to read the letter, he would have to sneak it in. As he walked towards the door, he began formulating a plan. Once he dragged the dogs back to their room, he could tuck the letter into the waistband of his pants and sneak it into his room.

“I’ll take those letters”, Drogo appeared out of nowhere snatching all the letters and walked away.

Jon knew better than to question his uncle. He put the dogs in their room and entered the dining room. Drogo looked at him with a smirk. Rhaego was still upset with losing his room and wouldn’t look at Jon. Aunt Dany wouldn’t look at him either. She had been upset with him ever since he got the first letter. The atmosphere in the house was stifling. He just wanted to escape. So, he decided to leave home and spend the whole day outside.

* * *

It was 7:00 PM when Jon came back home. He was playing in the park contemplating whether he should go home for lunch and be stuck with an upset Rhaego and Aunt Dany or remain in the park. He was saved from making up his mind when his neighbor Daario drove past in his patrol car and invited him to join him for his lunch break. He had asked him about his school and life. Daario was the only person who knew that Jon wanted to become a police officer or join the military. For the past year, Daario had been advising him on what he should do and what to expect if he chooses to go down either path.

As he closed the door, he noticed the new addition. There was a piece of wood nailed to the door blocking the mail slot. He could hear the rest of the family in the dining room. He snuck back to his room.

* * *

The next morning Jon woke up grumpy knowing that he would not get a letter today or ever. He took the dogs out for their morning walk. The dogs seemed to sense his mood and didn’t give him much trouble. They were calm during the whole walk. He remembered Daario’s advice to join some physical activity to improve his fitness and stamina and decided to spend an extra ten minutes running with the dogs. He ran back home.

Jon was jogging down the driveway. Before he even opened the door, he could hear Uncle Drogo screaming. Jon opened the door to see a red-faced Drogo. He stepped into the house. Instead of a mat, there were a dozen of letters on the floor. It looked like someone had jammed the letters underneath the door. Jon thought about grabbing a letter when Drogo wasn’t looking.

“Dany! Get in here and take the dogs. You boy go straight to your room. Dany will bring your breakfast to your room,” Drogo screamed instruction.

Aunt Dany came hurrying downstairs. Her arms had tens of letter in them. She dumped them in a corner and grabbed the leashes without even looking at his face.

Jon walked towards the stairs. He got a peek into the living room and saw letters beneath the windows. Someone had jammed letter not just beneath the door but also the glass windows. He thought about grabbing one of the letters Aunt Dany had dumped but he noticed Uncle Drogo’s eyes following him. Jon climbed up the stairs and entered his room.

Rhaego was sitting on his mattress, “Looks like someone really wants to talk to you. There were letters beneath both our windows.”

“Yes. I think they knew my mom,” Jon whispered with wide eyes.

Rhaego just stared at him. In the ten years, Rhaego had known Jon, no one had ever mentioned his mom. He didn’t even know Jon’s mum’s name.

“Do you want to play some video games?” Rhaego asked Jon with a nervous grin.

Jon knew that was Rhaego’s way of apologizing him for being upset yesterday.

“Definitely,” Jon answered with a grin.

* * *

Jon and Rhaego hurried downstairs to dump the dishes into the dishwasher. They were in a hurry to return to their game and failed to notice Drogo was still at home. Only at lunch would they notice what Drogo was doing. He was boarding the windows and making sure that no letters would enter the house. After lunch, Drogo did the same thing upstairs. Jon wondered how his persistent pen pal would try to send him letters now that all the gaps in every possible entrance were blocked.

* * *

The next morning after breakfast, Jon sat down the sofa in the living room watching the morning news as Uncle Drogo read the newspaper sitting on his favorite armchair.

“Do you know what my favorite thing about Sunday is, boy?”, he asked Jon.

Jon continued staring at the TV knowing that Drogo didn’t expect an answer from Jon.

“No mail”, Drogo said with a grin on his face.

Jon continued staring at the TV wondering whether the letter sender would give up or find some clever way to send him the letter. Jon and Drogo continued watching the news while Rhaego finished his breakfast in the dining room and Daenerys put the washed dishes back in its place. No one noticed as letter dropped down the chimney, into the unlit fireplace. First, it was just one letter at a time, and then there was two at a time, and then three at a time. Letters kept dropping.

Jon and Drogo began hearing a weird thumping sound and kept growing in volume. They turned towards the fireplace to see a barrage of letter flowing from the fireplace to the floor. Jon and Drogo stared at the fireplace with slack mouths. The dine grew so loud that Daenerys and Rhaego ran towards the living room to see the river of letters.

“That’s it. Pack your bags everyone”, Drogo screamed.

“Pack our bags?”, Rhaego asked in shocked.

“Don’t question your father. Just do it”, Daenerys told Rhaego.

Jon hurried out of the room but all he could see was Aunt Dany’s fearful eyes. That fear in her eyes seemed to be a constant ever since the first letter had appeared.

* * *

They had been trapped in the car for over 5 hours driving to wherever Drogo planned to take them. Rhaego and Dany were both asleep. Jon stared outside the windows looking at the cars passing by. It had turned dark. Jon wondered for how long they would drive. For the past hour, he had been debating whether he should ask his uncle or not. Jon finally decided to ask Drogo where they were going to go when Drogo pulled into the parking lot of a hotel. They got out of the car and walked towards the first hotel Jon had ever been to. Drogo booked two rooms: one for him and Dany and one for the kids. Jon wondered for how long they would be staying in a hotel room. 

_Maybe if I talk to Daario, he might be able to help me out. He is a police officer; he should be able to find a letter and figure out who was trying to reach Jon._

Jon began forming a plan as he fell asleep.

* * *

The four of them were eating breakfast in the hotel when the manager approached Drogo.

“Mr. Khal”, the manager called Drogo.

Drogo turned around and looked at the manager, “Yes?”

“We have a letter addressed to Room 215,” the manager replied.

Jon started at Rhaego in shock. That was their room.

“A letter?”, Dany squeaked nervously.

“Yes. It is addressed to Mr. J. Snow-Targaryen,” the manager replied confused.

“We don’t know anyone going with that name,” Drogo replied gruffly turning back to his plate dismissing the manager, but the manager was persistent.

“It isn’t one letter Mr. Khal. It is over a hundred letters.”

Drogo stood up, “That’s it we are checking out.”

Drogo bumped his shoulder into the manager and walked out as the rest of them hurried after him. They grabbed their bags and ran into the rain towards the car. They were back on the road. It was raining heavily. Jon could barely see anything outside the window, and he wondered how Uncle Drogo could drive and see anything in front of him. They drove for a couple of hours. Drogo parked the car in front of a seaside shack.

“Stay here. I have to go and grab something,” he instructed and left them.

“Mum, what is happening? Father has lost it. He has gone mad. This whole thing is mad,” Rhaego questioned Dany.

Before she could respond, Drogo banged the passenger window.

“Out, everyone”, he screamed over the pouring rain.

They hurried after him with their luggage towards the dock. They climbed into the boat. Jon was extremely scared that the rickety boat won’t make it to their destination. The boatman started the motor and they moved slowly towards the center of the lake. The boat wasn’t Jon’s only worry. He wondered if his uncle had finally reached his limits and was going to dump him in the lake. He wasn’t a good swimmer and the storm wasn’t going to help him. The boat finally docked at a tiny island. The island was so tiny that it could only fit one shack on the island. Drogo paid the man while the rest of them explored the shack. It was tiny with only one bedroom. The floor was very dusty. Daenerys and Drogo took the only bedroom and Rhaego took the only couch. That left Jon with a quilt on the floor.

* * *

It was late and the storm raged on in the darkness of the night. Jon laid down staring at the ceiling as the other slept on. Jon always had a hard time falling asleep during a thunderstorm. He turned towards Rhaego, who was asleep on the couch and stared at his digital watch. It was a birthday gift.

_23:55:04 30/07_

Five more minutes and he would turn eleven. He never celebrated his birthday, but he never imagined spending his birthday in a disgusting shack. He prayed that they would go back to Private Drive, Surrey and go back to their normal life. It wasn’t the best life or even a good life, but it was better than this shack. His plan of talking to Daario was solid and had a good chance of working. If only they would go back home. He looked at Rhaego’s watch once again. 

_23:59:54 30/07_

Mentally Jon started a countdown:

_5_

_4_

_3_

_2_

_1_

BOOM.

The whole shack shook, and Jon sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your comments. I am still trying to figure out the story arcs for every character and how they are going to fit in the Harry Potter world. I have got most of them figured out. One character that is really giving me a hard time is Peter Pettigrew. I thought a lot and the only character I can think of is Petyr Baelish if I change a lot from Pettigrew's backstory. Like a lot. I really need help with the following characters  
Peter Pettigrew: (tentative Petyr Baelish)  
Professor Sprout: (confused between Maester Luwin or Varys or Tyrion)  
Professor Flitwick: (confused between Maester Luwin or Varys or Tyrion)
> 
> This is a repost so unfortunately some comments got deleted  
  
@fyretyger86: that is really interesting. I was planning to keep the houses as they were in HP but I'll try to incorporate it. Maybe like a club/student association. I'm currently studying at a university in USA and I am a part of the Indian-American student association. So probably something like that...
> 
> @Lauren Bull: That was my thought process. Luwin is very similar to professor Sprout but I see Varys as a Hufflepuff. Tyrion was always going to be a professor and but I was confused between Charms or Potions. The main reason I considered him as Professor Flitwick is that I can see him as Head of Ravenclaw.  
There is a lot more going on with Dany's backstory. There is a reason she is terrified of magic and it is going to take her time to overcome it.  
Daario is kind of like Figg but not exactly.  
I figure out why it didn't show up. I saved my new chapter before posting it. I hope that by reposting the problem is solved.  
  
Signing out...


	4. The Keeper of Keys

BOOM. Someone knocked at the door again causing Jon to sit up and scramble back towards Rhaego on the couch.

Rhaego jerked awake screaming in shock, “What the hell!”

The bedroom door banged open. Uncle Drogo ran out holding a shotgun.

“Who is there? This is private property. I will shoot any trespassers,” he screamed.

There was a pin drop silence for a second. Just as Jon thought that the stranger had left there was ear-splitting BOOM.

The whole shack shook as the door was ripped from its hinges. All Jon could see was a gigantic silhouette. A bolt of lightning struck across the midnight sky followed by a boom of thunder causing Rhaego, Jon, and Dany to scream. The man stepped into the shack. He was a gigantic man with red bushy hair and a red bushier beard. That top of his head scraped against the ceiling.

He looked at all four of them, “A horn of goat’s milk would be great in this weather. You muggles wouldn’t happen to have ones those would yeh?”

He walked past Jon to the couch where Rhaego sat. He sat on one end causing the couch to get squished on one side. Rhaego leaped from the other end towards his mother, who was hiding behind the broad shoulders of Drogo. Now that Jon thought about it, this was the first time he had seen a man larger than Uncle Drogo.

Jon looked back that at the strange man who was staring at him.

He gave Jon a grin and said, “Last time I saw you, you were a wee little baby. You are a spitting image of your mum. Not a drop of Rhaegar in you.”

Drogo stepped forward pointing the gun at the giant, “You are breaking and entering. You need to leave at once.”

The stranger grabs the shotgun out of Drogo’s hand. He bends the barrel of the shotgun into a not and throws it away. Aunt Dany let out a squeak as Drogo moves back with wide eyes.

“Jon, I have got something for you here,” the giant said digging into the pockets of his oversized jacket.

He removed a squashed box and handed it over to Jon.

Jon opened it to see a tiny chocolate cake with red icing that said, _Happy Birthday Jon._

Jon couldn’t stop staring at the cake. He had never had a birthday cake before.

He wanted to thank the strange man but all he could say was, “Who are you?”

“Tormund Giantsbane, Tall-talker, Horn-blower, and Breaker of Ice, Tormund Thunderfist, Husband to Bears, the Mead-king of Ruddy Hall, Speaker to Gods, Father of Hosts and also Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts,” he held out his hand for Jon to shake.

Jon felt like his arm would come out of its socket.

“Your hands are so cold. Let’s light up this fireplace.”

Tormund got up from the couch causing it to creak and walked over to the empty fireplace. Jon tried to see but Tormund’s wide shoulder blocked his view. He stepped back and there was a fire in the fireplace, illuminating the room in an orange glow. He took out a horn, a pack of sausages and a poker. Tormund took a swing out of the horn and got to cooking.

Once the sausages are ready, he slides them from the poker and offered them to Jon. Jon grabbed one of them. Tormund then offered them to Rhaego.

Rhaego looked like he wanted to grab one of them, but Drogo growled, “Don’t touch anything he gives you.”

Tormund shrugged and muttered, “More for me.”

The silence was extremely awkward.

“I still don’t know who you are?” Jon asked.

“I’m Tormund Giantsbane. I work at Hogwarts, you know?” Tormund replied like that it was something obvious.

“Um. I don’t know,” Jon replied shocking Tormund.

Tormund stood up in rage and began screaming, “I knew something was wrong when Mormont said that you weren’t receiving any letters but even in my wildest dreams, I never thought you didn’t know about Hogwarts. Where did you think your parents learned it all?”

“Learnt what?” Jon asked backing out.

“Learnt what?”, Tormund screamed looking at Drogo and Daenerys.

“Does this lad know anything?” he yelled.

Jon all of sudden felt insulted and became defensive, “I know somethings. I got A in all subjects except Geography.”

“GEOGRAPHY! Who cares about geography? I am talking about our world. Your world. My world. You must know about your parents. Your father was the Prince and Targaryen heir. Your parents are famous. You are famous.”

This shocked Jon. He still remembers searching for his parents’ name on Google in the school computers and only finding their obituary.

Tormund looked at Jon’s shocked face and started running his fingers through his hair making him look wilder.

“You don’t know. You don’t know what you are?” he muttered.

Before Jon could ask him, anything Aunt Daenerys screamed, “Stop! I forbid you from telling him anything!”

Aunt Daenerys glared at Tormund who towered a couple of feet over her.

“You never told him? Everything was written in the letter. And you never told him?”

“Never told me what?” Jon asked, interrupting Tormund.

“Stop! I am his guardian. I will not allow this!” Daenerys yelled panicking.

“Oh! Fuck off!” said Tormund turning around to look at Jon.

He put his hand on Jon’s shoulder and said looking into Jon’s eyes, “Jon, you are a wizard.”

“A what?” Jon gasped.

“A wizard. Once you are trained you will become a great wizard like your parents,” Tormund said looking at Jon.

He put his hand into one of his pockets, pulled out a letter and handed it over to Jon. It looked like the other letters.

_Mr. J. Snow-Targaryen,_

_The Floor,_

_Hut on the Rock,_

_The Lake._

Jon ripped open the envelop and pulled out the letter

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL_ _  
_of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY__

________________

_Headmaster: Jon Arryn_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_Dear Mr. Snow-Targaryen,_

_ We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Septa Mordane,_

_Deputy Headmistress_

Jon read the letter three more times trying to make sense out of what he was reading.

“What do they mean with they await my owl?”

Tormund smacked his forehead. He pulled an owl from one of his pockets. Jon couldn’t help but stare at the owl. The owl stared back at him. 

_HOOT. _

Jon looked at Tormund. He had a roll of parchment, pot of ink and quill out.

Daenerys was panicking. For ten years she had prayed and prayed hard that Jon would turn out to be like her, a squib and not like his parents and her family. Magic was a way too powerful weapon and she knew what happened when it was in the hands of the wrong people. She closes her eyes and she can still her Darklyn begging for forgiveness.

She still remembers the man with the same silver hair like hers but lilac eye instead of violet looking at her, his cackle as he touched her, his voice as he shouted, “Crucio.”

She remembers her father's screams and the red light. She will never forget the screams. She will never forget what happens when magic is in the hands of a Targaryen man.

Rhaego had been silent for the past hour trying to process what is happening. 

_A wizard, an owl and who the hell uses parchment and quill. Are we in the middle ages?_

Tormund finished writing his letter. He rolled up the parchment and gave it to the owl. The owl flew away into the storm outside.

“He is not going anywhere with you,” Drogo growled.

“How are you lot, a muggle and a squib going to stop him?” Tormund scoffed at them.

“What is a Muggle and what is a squib?” Jon asked.

“A muggle is what we lot call nonmagical people like your uncle here. A squib is a person born in a magical family but has no magic,” he sneered at Aunt Daenerys.

“We swore when we took him in that we would not allow that nonsense to happen in our house,” Drogo said.

“You knew I was a wizard?” Jon screamed.

Daenerys started screaming, “Knew, of course, I knew what you were. My whole family was like you. A bunch of insane freaks. Drunk with the power they had. Ask them what happens to Targaryen wizards. Monsters, the whole lot of them. Ask them what Rhaegar did. Ask them what Viserys did. Ask them what Aerys did.”

Tormund hisses and winces but that doesn’t stop Daenerys, “And your mother. Lyanna was a poor innocent muggle-born but she should have known better than to believe the Mad King’s son. Like an idiot, she and rest of them fell for his act. She went ahead and got herself blown with my brother.”

Jon recoils in shock, “Blown up? You told me they did in a car crash.”

“Car crash!” Tormund roared.

“How could a car crash kill Lyanna? That’s ridiculous. Jon Snow not knowing his own story when every kid in our world knows his name.”

“What happened?” Jon asked wanting to know what happened to his parents. 

All of sudden Tormund looked nervous, “Mance and Arryn warned me that I will have a hard time finding you and I would have to tell you everything. Look, I’m not the right person for this but someone must do this. I’m a Freefolk so we don’t get all the details. I don’t think even the wizards know the whole story.”

Tormund took a deep swing from his horn, “There was this wizard. A really powerful one. It is shocking you don’t know his name. Everyone knows his name.” 

“Who”, Jon asks getting frustrated with how much time Tormund was taking.

“I don’t like saying his name. No one likes saying the name of that monster,” Tormund said looking nervously at Daenerys.

“Why not?”, Jon asked getting more and more frustrated.

“Fucking hell Jon, people are still scared. He was worse than all our nightmares. He was mad. His name was...” Tormund tried but he was struggling.

“His name was Aerys.” Tormund blurted it out looking at Daenerys. 

_Ask them what Rhaegar did. Ask them what Viserys did. Ask them what Aerys did._

His aunt’s words echo in his head.

“About 35 years ago he began gathering followers. Some of them wanted a piece of the power he was gathering. Some were just scared. He was merciless. People would stand against him, but he would kill them. They only safe space was Hogwarts. Arryn was the only person the Mad King was afraid of. Your father, Rhaegar was his eldest son. He was already in Hogwarts when the Mad King began his quest for power. Arryn managed to turn him to be a good lad. He was one of the good guys and he married a witch Elia Martell.”

_Not my mother,_ Jon thought.

“It was too late for Viserys. He was completely indoctrinated. Never came to Hogwarts. Don’t know what happened to him. He disappeared. Your father was working with the good guys, but something happened one day. He abandoned his family and kidnapped Lyanna. Your mother had just graduated from Hogwarts and was training to fight the Mad King before she was kidnapped. I don’t know what happened. No one knows what happened. She appeared three years later in the Stark’s estate pregnant with you. She kept saying that Rhaegar was as mad as his father and begged for protection from him. None of us know what happened. We knew she was in hiding. One night the Mad King and Rhaegar found her. It was on Halloween ten years ago. You were only a year old. He came to your house an…and…” Tormund paused, pulling out a handkerchief and blowing his nose loudly.

“Sorry. It was just so sad. Your mother was so brave. The Mad King killed her and then. This is the real mystery. He tried to kill you, but he couldn’t do it. That scar on your face,” Tormund said pointing at his face.

Jon touched his scar. Kids at school would make fun of the jagged line scar that spanned from his hairline to beneath his eye.

“That’s not an ordinary scar. It is a mark of a powerful, evil curse. It killed your mom but for some reason, it didn’t work on you. That is why you are famous. He killed powerful wizards Starks, Baratheons. Tullys, Karstarks but he couldn’t kill you.”

Jon could see it. The flash of green light and that maniacal laughter.

“I brought you from that ruined house to their place,” he said pulling an umbrella from his pocket and pointing at Drogo and his family.

Jon still had a lot of questions, “But what happened to Aer…”

Tormund flinched so Jon decided to not use that name, “What happened to the Mad King? And what happened to my dad.”

Tormund looked at Jon sadly, “We do not know what happened to your dad. His body was found in the ruins of your house. We don’t know whether it was Lyanna or the Mad King or what killed him.”

Jon didn’t know what to feel. That man was his father, but he had kidnapped his mother.

“As for the Night King, that’s another one of his names. He disappeared the night he tried to kill you. That’s the big mystery and why you are so famous. He was getting more and more powerful, he tried to kill you and then he disappeared. Some say he died; some say he is still out there waiting to come back. I don’t know what to believe. People on his side came back on ours. They seemed to be in a trance. Probably the Imperious Curse. It is not easy to break a curse cast by the most powerful wizard. Many believe he is still out there but extremely weak because of you. No one knows what happened but something about you destroyed his power. You are going to be so famous at Hogwarts.”

The word Hogwarts seemed to ignite Drogo’s rage, “He isn’t going to Hogwarts. I read those letters and the subjects they are going to teach him. Bullshit called Herbology and Charms. All those stupid things he would need spell books, wands.”

Tormund roared back, “If he wants to go, he will go to Hogwarts. A stupid muggle isn’t going to stop him. He has been destined to attend Hogwarts since the day he was born. He will be studying under one of the best Headmasters, Jon Arryn and the best teachers including Mance. He is going to learn so much from Mance Rayder”

“I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!” yelled Uncle Drogo.

Jon could see the rage in Tormund’s eyes.

Tormund seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head and thundered, “NEVER INSULT MANCE RAYDER IN FRONT OF ME!”

He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Drogo — there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, and the Drogo roared clutching his leg. Daenerys and Rhaego dragged Drogo to the bedroom. Rhaego cast a terrified and angry look at Jon and slammed the door.

“I shouldn’t have done that. We Freefolk aren’t allowed to do that. Don’t mention this to anyone. I am not allowed to do magic”, Tormund asked Jon.

“Why aren’t you allowed to do any magic?”, Jon asked curiously.

“I am a Freefolk. It means my wand was snapped. In my case, it happened when I was expelled from Hogwarts in my third year. Mance convinced Arryn to keep me around as a gamekeeper,” Tormund explained.

“Why were you expelled?”

Tormund clearly was no longer in a mood to answer any more of Jon’s questions, “It’s getting late and we have a lot to do tomorrow. Books to buys and all. So, we better catch some z’s.”

Tormund lies down on the couch and looked pointedly at the quilt. Jon lies down on the quilt and falls asleep immediately exhausted with the amount of information he had to absorb. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your comments. I have more professors figured out. I'm going to be changing a lot of things. Things I didn't like about Harry Potter. Things like how Gryffindor centric it was. I mean the deputy headmistress was also the head of Gryffindor. Something I always hated was how Slytherin was portrayed. 
> 
> English isn't my first language so I will really appreciate constructive criticism. 
> 
> If you guys have any suggestions: story arcs, which GOT characters should be which HP character, I'll really appreciate it.
> 
> Which character should Sandor Clegane be?
> 
> Signing out...


	5. Kings Landing

Jon is pulled out of his sleep by the loud rainfall. He squeezed his eyes shut and repeated to himself. 

_It was just a dream. Everything was a dream. Your grandfather wasn’t the evilest wizard. Wizards don’t exist. _

He heard a loud snore and opened his eyes. He sat up and looked at the couch where Tormund was snoring. Everything came crashing down. 

_It was all real. _

There was someone tapping at the window. He walked towards the window and opened it to let in a tawny owl in. The owl dropped a newspaper at Tormund’s head, startling him awake. The owl flew toward Tormund’s coat and started pecking at it. Jon tried to shoo the owl away, but it started pecking Jon instead.

“Tormund, get it off me.”

Jon tried to swat the owl away and he can hear Tormund’s booming laughter.

“You need to pay for them. Give him 5 Knuts.”

Jon grabbed Tormund’s coat and rummaged through the hundreds of pockets to find any coins. He got lucky on his fourth try and grabbed a handful of coins. They were gold, silver and bronze coins of different sizes.

“Which ones are Knuts?”, Jon asked Tormund.

“The bonze ones”, he replied.

Jon counted 5 bronze coins. The owl had a tiny pouch tied to its leg. Jon put the coins in the pouch and the owl flew away.

Jon stared at the remaining coins and got worried. 

_How am I going to pay off school supplies?_

“What are these coins, Tormund?”, Jon asked. 

_Do wizards have student loans?_

“The bronze ones are called Knuts. 29 Knuts make 1 silver Sickle and 17 silver Sickle makes 1 golden Galleon.”, Tormund explained.

“How am I going to pay for school?”, Jon asked.

Just then the bedroom door opened and Rhaego stepped out. He glared at Tormund and walked to the kitchen.

Tormund felt guilty about attacking Drogo. He knew he lost his temper at that man for insulting his world and people he respected but he shouldn’t have done it in front of the man’s wife and son. Daenerys had only seen the worst sides of the wizarding world and a stranger attacking his father wouldn’t be the best introduction into the wizarding world for Rhaego. Tormund knew it was never going to be an easy introduction for Rhaego with his grandfather being a muggle hater, but he still felt guilty and started to think how to apologize while answering Jon’s question.

“Targaryens are an ancient pureblood family. They have a lot of ancestral money that belongs to you now at the Iron Bank.”

“Iron Bank?” Jon asked.

“It is the wizarding bank. It is run by goblins. The safest place other than Hogwarts. You would be crazy to even think about robbing them. We will go to the Iron Bank before shopping. I have to visit the iron bank anyway. I have a secret task assigned by Arryn. He trusts me with a lot of important Hogwarts stuff,” Tormund replied puffing up his chest.

He grabbed a pack of sausages and started cooking them. The food was almost ready when Rhaego entered the room with a glass of water.

“Look, kid, I’m sorry for losing my temper. Shouldn’t have done that,” Tormund apologized to Rhaego.

Rhaego stared at him for a moment before nodding his head, “I’m hungry. Give me one of those.”

Jon grinned knowing this was Rhaego’s way of accepting Tormund’s apology.

“So, where is Hogwarts? Is it a day school or boarding school?”, Rhaego asked.

This is why Jon needed Rhaego. He would ask basic questions that Jon should have thought about.

“He will be staying at Hogwarts. He will be back every summer and may choose to spend his Christmas break at Hogwarts or at home. It is in a place called Oldtown in Reach,” Tormund explained.

“Reach?”, Jon questioned.

“We wizards have different names for different places. Like we call London the Crownlands. But the wizarding part of London is called King’s Landing.”

By the time Tormund explained different regions, they are done having breakfast.

“I’ll be outside waiting for you,” Tormund told Jon as he grabbed his jacket and left.

Jon looked at Rhaego and wondered how was going to say goodbye to the person who made the past 10 years bearable. Uncle Drogo always hated him. Aunt Daenerys never hated him, but she was always busy taking care of everyone and working. Rhaego despite going to a different school had been his only friend.

“It is going to be hard. I know it is selfish, but I don’t want you to go, but I also know you need this Jon,” Rhaego said looking at Jon with tears in his eyes.

“I love my father but maybe spending time away from him will be good for you. You can friends.” Jon knew Rhaego was right.

His whole life he was around kids who were friends with Rhaego because they went to the same private school. He knew they only allowed Jon to join them because of Rhaego, not because they liked him. Jon was never able to make any friends at his public school. Ill-fitting uniforms and weird incidents didn’t help him.

“Promise me that you will stay in contact. I don’t care that you will have to send letters with an owl, but I want to know everything,” Rhaego asked Jon.

Jon started to cry as he hugged Rhaego, “I promise. I will send you a letter every week. Goodbye, brother.”

“Goodbye brother,” Rhaego hugged him tightly. 

* * *

Rhaego stood at the shore watching the boat speed away. He didn’t know how to feel about everything that happened in the past 24 hours. He doesn’t like magic, especially after hearing about the Mad King, witnessing his mother fear and understanding how defenseless people like him and his parents are against magic. 

_What if they one day decide to take over the world. What if the magical people one day decided that they were superior to others and should rule over the world. That is what power does to people. _

Rhaego knew that Jon would never go down that path and considering there were wizards who stood against an evil wizard like Aerys there were measures to make sure that never happened. He wondered if they were any nonmagical people who were aware of magic and working to ensure the safety and security of fellow nonmagical people.

* * *

Jon sat on the speeding boat. Once Jon had stepped onto the rowboat Tormund had used to come to the island, Tormund touched the boat with his umbrella, and it started moving without needing anyone rowing.

Jon decided to ask more questions about the Iron Bank, “Why would you be crazy if you tried to break into the Iron Bank?”

“There are tons of spells and enchantments protecting the bank and its vaults. Only the goblins know where the vaults of each wizard are located and can transport them to the vaults. Some highly important vaults are protected by fucking dragons Plus the vaults are located miles underground In London. It is easy to get trapped and lost for weeks down there,” Tormund explained as he opened the newspaper.

Jon tried processing what Tormund was saying and while looking at the newspaper. The newspaper was called Daily Prophet.

“Fucking Ministry of Magic,” Tormund cursed.

“Ministry of Magic?” Jon asked.

“They are our version of government. They make sure that the members of the wizarding world follow the rules and law. The main one being to keep Muggles from knowing about us. They wanted Jon Arryn for Minister, but he refused to leave Hogwarts. There are times I wish he hadn’t rejected the role. He would be bloody better Minister then Tywin Lannister.”

Jon could see Tormund was getting angrier as he spoke about the Ministry, so he decided to change the topic and ask him about something that had been bugging him, “Tormund, did you say DRAGONS guard vaults?”

“Yes, dragons, beautiful creatures. Always wanted to have one of them. The Targaryen sigil is a three-headed dragon. Your ancestors were known to have dragon pets. Many of them were dragon riders.” Jon started at Tormund in shock 

_DRAGON RIDERS._

* * *

Jon hurried behind Tormund. Tormund’s gigantic structure ensured that people scrambled out of their way. They hurried to the station to catch their train to London.

Once they sat in the train Tormund asked, “You still have your letter with you, Jon?”

“Yes,” Jon replied removing the envelope from his packet.

He opened it to took out the second piece of parchment and began reading it.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

\---------------------

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1\. Three sets of plain work robes (black)  
2\. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear  
3\. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)  
4\. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils’ clothes should carry name tags

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Maester Adalbert Waffling

A Beginners’ Guide to Transfiguration by Maester Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Draughts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad AND/OR a pet representing their family sigil (only with certification issued by Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures)

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

* * *

Jon was hurrying behind Tormund once again.

Tormund would randomly exclaim about muggle things randomly asking how they worked or how muggles survived without magic, “Not every Freefolk are wizards expelled from Hogwarts and had their wands snapped. Some are like Mance Rayder who feel like they don’t need magic and want to live without magic. They snap their own wands. A lot of them acclimate to the Muggle world and live like Muggles.”

They hurried down London streets. Again, the muggles gave them a wide berth, terrified of Tormund’s size.

They stood in front of a dusty old pub. Jon looked at it suspiciously. It wasn’t a place Jon would even enter. It didn’t look safe. It looked like one of those places where people got stabbed.

Tormund bent down and whispered, “A nifty little spell. Muggles can’t see the Leaky Cauldron. It is a famous place.”

Jon looked in shock as Tormund opened the door to the pub_. _

_If this is what a famous wizarding pub looked like I don’t want to know how a normal pub looks like. _

Jon followed Tormund. The place wasn’t very crowded. There were two guys sitting in a corner table playing cards and drinking pints of beer. A lady was smoking a pipe in another corner. There were people scattered around. A man was at the bar talking to the bartender. The man was dressed in flamboyant robes and pointed hat. The bartender was bald and hunched back with a hooked nose.

The bartender noticed Tormund and yelled, “Here to grab a drink, Tormund.”

“No, am here on official business,” Tormund said placing his arm on Jon’s shoulder.

All of a sudden Jon noticed the pin-drop silence in the pub.

“Is that Jon Snow?”

The man ran from behind the bar to stand in front of him and vigorously shook his hand, “Welcome, welcome Mr. Snow. Welcome to my humble establishment.”

Jon could hear the scrapping of chairs as more people came forward to introduce themselves. He could barely keep up with them.

The man in flamboyant robes introduced himself, “Mr. Snow, I’m Morton Waynwood. It is so great to meet you.”

The man seemed familiar to Jon. He remembered him. He was leaving a bookstore with Aunt Daenerys and Rhaego when a man had grabbed his hands and bowed down.

“We have met before,” Jon said.

“He remembers me,” he whispered, bowing down again before leaving.

Jon had probably greeted everyone in the bar. The crowd around him had thinned down. When he noticed two men walking around him. The first man was a portly man with blotchy skin. He wore deep plum robes with a matching turban He seemed to be shivering when he looked into Jon’s eyes. The man walking next to him was a tall, slender, graceful, and fit man, with attentive black eyes, light brown skin and jet-black hair with a few silver streaks.

“Professor Hollard and Professor Martell! Jon both these men are going to be your professor at Hogwarts,” Tormund introduced them.

Jon first shook Professor Hollard’s hand as the man introduced himself, “D-D-Dontos H-Hollard. P-Pleased to meet you M-Mr. T-T-T-Targaryen.”

“I go by Jon Snow. What subject will you be teaching, Professor,” Jon asked wincing at being called Targaryen.

“D-D-Defense against D-D-Dark Arts,” he replied.

“Let me by you a drink on your appointment Dontos,” Tormund said putting his arms on Professor Hollard’s shoulders and dragging him along to the bar leaving him alone with Professor Martell.

“Do not like being called Targaryen, I see,” Professor Martell said putting his hand forward for Jon to shake.

“Not really,” he replied sheepishly shaking his hand.

“My sister refused to change her last name when she married Rhaegar,” he said frankly surprising Jon.

Jon tried to connect the dots. 

_Sister. Elia Martell. His father’s wife. _

“Elia Martell. I’m sorry,” Jon said.

Martell looked at him with pity.

“Come here, Jon. Its Oberyn Martell, by the way,” he said dragging Jon along with him to the nearest table.

“Lesson number one Snow; do not apologize for your father’s and grandfather’s action. If you start doing it, you are never going to stop. They hurt a lot of people. Most of them being before you were even born. You are not defined by their actions.”

They sat on opposite sides of the table.

“What are you going to be teaching, Professor?” Jon asked.

“Not one of your O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s subject. I substitute for most teachers during their absence while handling student affairs. I handle all the student clubs, sports, and extra curriculum. I am also a student advisor,” Oberyn explained.

Jon's eyes widen in shock, “That is a lot.”

“Magic makes it easier. If you ever have a problem, my office is always going to be open.”

Jon wants to ask him about Elia, his stepmother. 

_Did she hate him? How did she deal with what Rhaegar and Aerys did?_

Before he could ask anything Tormund comes back with Dontos, “Ready, Jon? We better start shopping if want to finish all the shopping today.”

“See you at Hogwarts, Jon,” Oberyn got up, waving them goodbye.

They walked out of the other bar door into a narrow alley.

“See, I told you that you were famous,” Tormund grinned at him.

“I don’t think I am going to remember anyone other than the Professors,” Jon replied awkwardly.

“They are not going to care. Professor Hollard was more scared of you,” he said jokingly.

“Is he always this nervous?” he asked.

“He used to be a shy kid. Always wanted to go on an adventure from tales in books. He wasn’t really prepared for it. Had a bad encounter a hag and a few werewolves. He barely escaped a coven of vampires in Harrenhal before applying for a job as a professor,” Tormund explained.

They stopped in front of a brick wall. He began tapping the bricks in a pattern. Jon tried to process everything he just heard.

_Vampires, hag and werewolves. What world have I become a part of?_

The gap in between two brick begins to crack and expands down and then widens to reveal a doorway. Jon followed Tormund through the doorway.

“Welcome to Kings Landing, Jon,” Tormund said but Jon can barely hear him.

He is in awe of everything around him. He didn’t know where to look. 

_This is better than the zoo._

He looked at the nearest shop and read the sign.

** _Cauldrons_ **

_ All Sizes_

_ Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver_

_ Self-Stirring_

_Collapsible_

Jon remembered the list sent from Hogwarts. 

_Need a Pewter one. _

Opposite to it, there was a shop with a sign saying ‘Apothecary’. Jon tried to remember what it meant. There were signs at the window ‘Dragon Liver for 3 Galleons’, ‘Snake Fangs for 2 Galleons’, ‘Black Beetle Eyes for 5 Knuts a scoop’, ‘Rose Oil for 8 Galleons’.

Tormund laughed at the look on Jon’s face, “First we need to go to the bank, then we can to all the shops here.”

Jon walked with Tormund. He could see a robes shop, a bookstore, and an ice creams shop. A bunch of kids were staring a window of one of the shops. They were staring at a broomstick. 

_That’s weird. Why are kids staring at a broomstick? _

He could hear snippets, “Fastest broom ever”

“Nimbus Two Thousand”

“My brother is getting it for his birthday”

“Did you see that ad with Brynden Tully and Jason Mallister?”

Jon tried to keep up with Tormund. He could hear hoots coming from the emporium. He read the shop sign.

** _Eeylops Owl Emporium_ **

_Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy_

Jon and Tormund walked till they reached a grand building made of white marble. They walked up the stairs. In front of the bronze door, stood two goblins wearing a black, white and gold uniform. They were shorter than him. The one to the right had bushy eyebrows while the one on the left had a distinctive scar on his left cheek. They both had long legs and arms. He noticed both of them had long nails on the index fingers. They walked inside to come in front of a silver door. On these doors, there were words engraved.

Before the goblins could open the door, Tormund stopped them, “It is his first time here. Let him read those works.”

Jon walked forward and read them

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed,_

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn._

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there._

The goblins opened the door and Jon walked in only to come in front of another pair of doors. Only this time, it was already open and guarded by two wizards instead of goblins. There were hundreds of goblins sitting behind two long tables on opposite walls. They stood behind a wizard waiting to be directed to a free goblin. He looked around. Each goblin had a scale in front of them. Some of them were examining coins, some were examining documents. Jon thought he saw one of them examining a tiara. Jon and Tormund were directed towards a goblin.

“Morning, I am here to help Mr. Jon Snow-Targaryen to access his vault,” Tormund said as he put his hand in one the pockets searching for something.

The goblin looked at Jon through his glasses, “Do you have you key Mr. Snow Targaryen?”

Jon was befuddled.

“Just a second…Here got it,” Tormund removed a tiny golden key and handed it to the goblin.

The goblin closed his eyes and touched the key.

“Okay,” he said opening his eyes.

“I have this letter from Professor Arryn. It is about You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen,” Tormund handed over a rolled parchment to the goblin.

As the goblin read the letter, Jon reads the name tag in front _‘Griphook, Associate Goblin (he/him)’. _

“Okay, I’ll take you both,” Griphook said nodding his head.

He got up from his chair. Tormund and Jon followed him to one of the doors at the end of the hall.

“What is You-Know-What?” Jon asked curiously.

“Can’t tell you about it. Top Secret Jon,” Tormund said making a T sign with his arms.

Jon expected more marble hallway. Instead, there were stone wooden passages with train track going through them. Griphook whistled and a wooden cart whizzed to them. They got into the cart. Griphook placed his hand on the cart and it began to move. Jon looked around. He could see the tracks in front of him. He looked at the stone wall with engravings. He tried to see what they were about, but the cart picked up speed and he could barely see them. He looked ahead and his eyes widen as he saw nothing in front of him. All of a sudden, they took a plunge down. The cart was going way too fast for Jon. They turned left, right and Jon then could barely keep track of the direction as his eyes began to water. The cart came to stop in front of a door. Griphook got out of the cart first, followed by Tormund and then Jon. Jon stood behind Griphook as he opened the door and moved aside. Jon was stunned. There were columns of gold coins and silver coins with heaps of bronze coins. There were things other than coins. There were two crowns on a cushioned podium. It looked like it was meant for a king and queen. There was a silver harp. He could see silver utensils and so many things.

“Here, grab a bunch of coins. Enough to fill this. It should last you for a couple of years,” Tormund handed him a pouch.

All Jon could think was that he wouldn’t have to rely on Uncle Drogo for anything. If he wanted, he could stay in a hotel instead of his house. But he would miss Rhaego. He could finally buy something for Rhaego on his birthday. They climbed into the cart. Jon thought he would be better prepared, but he wasn’t. Jon didn’t think it would be possible to become darker and drearier. By the time they came to a stop in front of vault seven hundred and thirteen, Jon realized that Tormund didn’t hand over a key for this vault. Griphook ran the long nail of his index finger on the door, opening it.

He saw Jon staring at what he was doing and explained, “Only Iron Bank goblin can open it. If anyone else tries it the door will suck them in, trapping them in until the owner wants to access it.”

Jon tried to see what was within the vault. He was expecting something like the Caves of Wonder but there was nothing. It was a soon to be an empty vault with a small pouch that was hurriedly grabbed by Tormund. And there were back on the cart being whooshed away.

* * *

It took Jon some time to adjust to the brightness outside.

“First let’s get you some uniform robes. They don’t like me in there. Tend to bump into and break stuff,” Tormund said directing him to a show with a sign outside saying _‘Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions’_.

There were mannequins wearing different robes strutting down the window display and spinning around. Jon entered the shop alone looking lost. Luckily, he was saved by a kind-looking lady. She had brown hair tied into a simple ponytail and kind brown eyes. He read her name tag _‘Poole’_.

“Hi! How can I help you?” she asked kindly.

“I need to buy uniforms for Hogwarts,” he said nervously.

Jon had never been shopping alone.

“Come with me. There’s already a kid from Hogwarts getting fitted.”

Jon followed her. There was already a kid there. He was pale, with a pointed face and curly blond hair. When he turned towards Jon, he noticed he had green eyes.

“Hello. Which school are you going to?” the boy asked.

“Hogwarts,” Jon replied.

He was eager to talk to the boy. He could be his first friend. Jon really wanted to make a good impression.

“Me too. The boy replied.

“My mother is buying my books and my father is at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures getting my pet cub certified. We paid the best trainers for his training, so they better give him the certification. I am going to drag my mother to buy a broomstick. I know we first years aren’t allowed to bring a broomstick, but can you imagine using one of the Hogwarts brooms. I refuse to use one of those old things. Dad is pretty high up in the Ministry so he can do it,” he said not stopping for a minute.

Jon was hearing the boy go on and on. He wanted to ask him why he wanted a broomstick.

“Have you got your own broom?” the boy asked.

“No,” Jon replied before he could ask more the boy fired his next question, “Do you play Quidditch?”

“No,” Jon replied confused.

_What is Quidditch?_

“I play. My dad would have become a professional player if he did join the Ministry. He taught me how to fly so I am pretty brilliant. I know I am going to be in Slytherin. My whole family has been in Slytherin. If I am sorted into Hufflepuff I am going to change schools. Do you know which house you are going to be in?” he asked.

“No,” Jon replied confused. 

_Was that mentioned in the letter?_

“Technically no one knows. Blimey! Look at the man there,” he said pointing at Tormund standing at the window.

Tormund waved two cups of ice cream.

“That’s Tormund. He works at Hogwarts,” Jon said.

“I have heard of him. He is one of those weird wildlings. He is a savage. He has a cottage in school grounds. I once heard he got drunk and set his bed on fire.”

Jon got upset. This boy was the first wizard kid he had met, and it is clear he is not that different from kids in his old school.

“I think he is amazing.”

“Really? Why is he even with you? Where are your parents?” the boy sneered.

“They are dead,” Jon replied glaring at the boy.

“Sorry about that. But they were our kind, right?” he said not really sounding sorry.

Jon knew kids like him were never sorry for anything, “They were a witch and a wizard.”

Jon wondered if every other magical person was like this. He could still remember his Aunt screaming about wizards at the shack and what his father and grandfather did. 

_A bunch of insane freaks. Drunk with the power they had. Ask them what happens to Targaryen wizards. Monsters, the whole lot of them. Ask them what Rhaegar did. Ask them what Viserys did. Ask them what Aerys did._

“Good. I really don’t think they should let those muggle-born in. They’re just not the same, they were not brought up to knowing our ways. They have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. Especially among us pureblood ones. What is your name, anyway?” he asked.

Jon was getting angrier. He might not have been muggle-born, but he didn’t know about the wizarding world either.

“You are done,” said Poole patting his shoulder.

She helped him remove the robe and walked with him to the counter.

“See you at Hogwarts,” he heard the other boy say.

* * *

He was outside eating ice cream. They had just been inside a stationary shop buying parchment paper, quills, and inkpot. Jon was really overwhelmed with the variety of quills and types of ink bottles. Tormund was really helpful in stopping him from buying things he didn’t need. 

_You really didn’t need a peacock feather quill anyways. Pheasant feather would do the same job. _

He did spend money on silly things such as a pot of color-changing ink along with a pot of blue, black, red and green ink.

“What does wildling mean?” Jon asked.

Tormund began choking on his ice cream.

“Where did you hear that?” he asked angrily.

“There was a kid in the robe shop,” Jon said trying to become as small as possible.

“I told you that I was a Freefolk, right?” Tormund said looking at Jon.

Jon nodded his head waiting for Tormund to continue, “Wildling is a term that wizards use to calls us because they think we are wild and crazy. They don’t understand that because we didn’t complete seven years in Hogwarts or because some of us choose to not practice magic doesn’t make us any lesser humans to them. They don’t understand how we survive without magic living like muggles.”

Jon felt bad for asking Tormund about that, but he had more questions.

He remembered Aunt Dany mentioning that his mum was a muggle-born, but the boy had said some terrible things about them, “He said some things about muggle-borns not being allowed.”

“Ahhh”, Tormund interrupted him.

“Fucking purebloods. I bet you that kid was from a pureblood family. They are powerful wizarding families. There are many of them with a lot of old wizarding lineage and money. Westeros is divided into nine regions. Each region was assigned to a great house and depending on which region their ancestral home was in the different pureblood houses became bannermen to these great houses,” Tormund explained.

“Great Houses?” Jon asked.

“Yes. Starks of Winterfell in the North, Lannisters of Casterly Rock in Westerlands, Arryns of Eyrie in Vale, Tullys of Riverrun in Riverlands, Greyjoy of Pyke in Iron Islands, Baratheons of Storm’s End in Stormlands, Tyrells of Highgarden in Reach, Martells of Sunspear in Dorne and finally Targaryens of Dragonstone in King’s Landing,” Tormund explained to Jon’s shock.

“I am from a Great House?” he asked.

“Yes, years ago it meant you were the Lord of the Region and would be responsible for ruling your region but not anymore. Now it means you hold a prestigious position in the wizarding world. A lot of money, land and an ancestral castle. Targaryens own a fucking island,” Tormund scoffed.

“I own an island!” Jon exclaimed in shock with wide eyes.

Tormund laughed and put his hand on Jon’s shoulder, “Not yet. You will get it when you turn 18. It is called Dragonstone. It is in ruins since your family mainly lived in Red Keep in Kings Landing. Dragonstone was more like a vacation home.” 

Jon was overwhelmed with everything he was learning. But he knew he needed more answers, “My mum was a muggle-born wasn’t she?” Jon asked.

“Yes, and one of the best witches to enter Hogwarts. Many pureblood houses and great houses are arrogant scums who believe they are superior to other wizards especially muggle-born. That’s what the Mad King believed. He wanted to eliminate all the muggle-born because he felt they were unworthy of their magic. Not all of them. There are many houses and great houses don’t believe that. Your mother was best friends with Benjen Stark. They were always attached at the hip when they were in Hogwarts. He was the third son of a great house and didn’t care that your mum was a muggle-born. It doesn’t matter,” he shrugged.

Jon doesn’t want to talk about it anymore. He doesn’t want to know what his grandfather believed in. 

_Did he kill her because she was a muggle-born? Why did his father kidnap a muggle-born and raped her? Did his mum hate him? I won’t blame her for hating me._

“What is Quidditch? And why do wizards have broomsticks?” Jon asked.

“Quidditch is one of our wizarding sports. It is kind of like soccer, but we have 4 different balls and we play it flying in the air on broomsticks. You will be taught about it in the first year along with flying.”

Jon had another question, “And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?”

“School houses. There are four houses. You will be sorted into houses the first year. They are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Your mum was in Gryffindor. All the Targaryens have been in Slytherin.”

Jon didn’t know which house he wants to be in, but he knows which one he doesn’t want to be in.

They next went to the bookstore called Flourish and Blotts. Jon had never seen so many books. The ceilings were high about two stories tall. The bookshelves ran from floor to ceiling and were filled with books. Jon wanted to grab books at random and read them. Tormund wouldn’t allow him. He dragged him to the counter where they asked for books for 1st year Hogwarts students and were handed a stack of books.

They went from store to store. Whenever Jon decided to buy something unreasonable Tormund pulled him back.

“Jon, it says pewter, not gold. You don’t need a gold cauldron.”

They bought a scale for weighing potion ingredients, a collapsible brass telescope, and a supply of basic potion ingredients from the Apothecary.

Outside the Apothecary Tormund tried to remember what else was remaining to buy, “All you now need is a wand and I will buy a birthday gift.”

“There is no-,” Jon tried to say but Tormund interrupted him, “Shut it, Jon. No kid wants toads and cats aren’t as useful as an owl. If you have your own owl it will be easier for you to write to your cousin.”

They entered Eeylops Owl Emporium. Jon was greeted by a cacophony of hoots. There were so many owls flying around. A screech owl flew close to his ear screeching causing Jon to jump. He didn’t know which one to pick. There were so many owls.

“Go ahead and pick one that you like,” Tormund said pushing him forward.

Jon walked around trying to find an owl he liked. He heard a hoot and all of a sudden, an owl landed on his head. Jon reached out and grabbed the owl. It was a small snowy white owl with haunting red eyes. The moment he saw it he knew that was the one he wanted.

He walked to the counter where Tormund was waiting for him, “You sure you want that want. Those eyes are creeping me out.”

“Yes,” Jon replied.

He couldn’t stop thanking Tormund.

“Shut it, Jon. It’s a gift. Now we have to get you a wand. Motts make the best wands in all of Westeros.”

Jon was nervous all of a sudden. A wand that he was going to have his whole life. The show was narrow and looked dusty. On the door written in old script was a sign _‘Motts: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.’_ He opened the door. The shop appeared bigger than he thought it would be. He couldn’t see how deep the shop went. It had shelves on all the wall with boxes of wands.

“Hello,” he heard out of nowhere causing him and Tormund to jump.

There was an old man standing near a side door that Jon had missed.

“Hello,” he replied.

“Mr. Snow Targaryen. I was expecting you. You look like your mother. I still remember her coming to my show with Professor Mordane to find her wand. I got it right on the first try. wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. You father was chosen by a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable.”

He came closer to him, staring into Jon’s eyes. He lifted his hand and traced the scar on his face.

“I’m sorry. I remember the wand that gave you that scar. Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands…well, if I’d known what that wand was going out into the world to do….”

Mr. Mott seemed to be in a trance. Tormund cleared his throat trying to bring the wandmaker out of it.

“Ahh, Mr. Giantsbane. Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy. Snapped when you were expelled, I guess.”

Tormund swallowed nervously, “Yes. I still have the piece.”

Tormund tapped his umbrella. Mr. Mott hummed and turned around indicating Jon to follow him.

“Which arm is your wand arm?”

Jon was confused, “I am right-handed.” “Hold out your hand.”

He took out a silver measuring tape and started taking all sort of measurements. Mr. Mott wasn’t taking any measurements; the tape was doing it on its own. Shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head.

Mr. Mott kept talking as he walked around grabbing boxes, “Every Mott wand has a core of a powerful magical substance. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Mott wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard’s wand.”

The tape flew away into one of Mr. Mott’s pocket.

“Try this on. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave.”

Jon nervously grabbed the wand and waved it. He hadn’t even finished waving when the wand was snatched out of his hand.

“That’s not it. Here. Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy.”

The same thing happened again. He had barely waved it and it was snatched. He tried another one. And another one. And another one. He lost the count of wands he had tried. Jon kept getting more and more frustrated while Mr. Mott became more and more excited.

“You are quite a challenge. We’ll find the perfect match here somewhere. I wonder, now. Yes, why not. Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple.”

Jon took the wand. The moment he touched the wand his fingers tingled. A wave of warmth spread from his fingers to the rest to his body. He waved it and sparks of silver and gold shot out from it. 

Tormund screamed, “Finally.”

Mr. Mott had a look on his face, “Oh, bravo! Very good. Well, well, well... how curious…how very curious…” he muttered as he packed the wand in a box.

“Sorry, what’s so curious,” Jon asked.

Mr. Mott wouldn’t look at Jon.

“I remember every wand I have ever sold. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand gave another feather. The only other one. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother gave you that scar.”

Jon kept staring at him. Aerys’ wand. 

“Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard. I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Snow-Targaryen. After all, the Night King did great things. Terrible, yes, but great.”

Jon took the box and thanked him and hurried out. He couldn’t get out of the store quicker.

Jon felt like he was in a trance. Tormund knew what happened at the wand shop had affected Jon a lot. He kept trying to distract Jon, but he looked dazed and lost. Tormund had to make sure they went the right direction and he didn’t bump into anything or anyone. Tormund decided it would be best to give Jon as much time as he could. They got on the first train. Tormund almost missed the stop they were supposed to get out at.

He dragged Jon to a burger joint, “Here, have a burger. You’ll be alone in the final train.”

He gave Jon and burger and some fries. Jon still looked very lost. He couldn’t have Jon getting lost.

“You all right Jon?” he asked slapping Jon’s back.

That seemed to snap Jon out of his daze.

“Everyone thinks that I am special, and I don’t even know why. I am famous for something I don’t even remember. Professor Martell said that I am not defined by my father’s and grandfather’s action. But how can that be when the reason I am famous is because of them. I have a wand which is the brother to Aerys’ wand. Mott said that I am capable of great things, but he said what Aerys did great things.”

Tormund leaned forward with a kind smile.

“Jon. You aren’t your father or grandfather. Their actions weren’t your fault. A wand is a very intelligent and powerful tool. But it is a tool. What you do isn’t going to be dictated by your wand. It is going to be dictated by you. Yes, you are a Targaryen. There is a saying about Targaryens ‘Madness and greatness are two sides of the same coin. Every time a new Targaryen is born, the gods toss the coin in the air and the world holds its breath to see how it will land.’ Your father and grandfather were clearly mad in their thirst for power. But Maester Luwin has a different theory. A lot of purebloods believed that marrying within fellow purebloods kept their blood pure and stronger witches and wizards were born every generation. Targaryens took it to an extreme. A lot of them married their siblings including the Mad King. After your father was born, he was desperate for a daughter so that Rhaegar would have a bride. Incest was a common practice along with polygamy. Maester Luwin believes that is the reason a lot of Targaryens were born vulnerable to various illnesses: physiological and psychological. He studied a lot about genetics.”

Jon felt disgusted. Aerys wanted Rhaegar to marry Daenerys.

Tormund continued, “You are not just a Targaryen. You are also a Snow. Maybe that Snow genetics will make sure that you are different from those two. You look like your mother and I know you are going to turn out to be like her, if not better. You did after all defeat them. That’s how powerful you are.”

Jon listened to Tormund and knew he was right, but he couldn’t help but still have doubts, “That’s another thing. Everyone believes that I am this powerful wizard, but I know nothing about magic.”

That makes Tormund laugh, “Why do you think you are going to Hogwarts? You are going to learn so much there. I had a great time there and I know you will too. Here.”

“Better eat quickly, don’t want to miss your train back home,” Tormund said pointing at Jon’s almost finished food.

“Back home? I thought I was going to Hogwarts,” Jon asked.

Tormund laughed at that, “You are not going to Hogwarts today.”

Tormund took out an envelope out of his pocket, “Your tickets to Hogwarts. King’s Cross Station on the first of September. Your train is here. See you soon Jon.”

Jon boarded the train and waved at Tormund. He sat down a seat and stared at his reflection on the opposite window. The scar given to him by Aerys. Sitting in the train he made a promise to himself. 

_I am never going to be a Targaryen. I am always going to be a Snow._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your comments. I am still trying to figure out the story arcs for every character and how they are going to fit in the Harry Potter world. I have got most of them figured out. 
> 
> Who do you guys think should be Luna Lovegood?
> 
> English isn't my first language so I will really appreciate constructive criticism.
> 
> If you guys have any suggestions: story arcs, which GOT characters should be which HP character, I'll really appreciate it.
> 
> Signing out...


	6. The Journey from Platform Nine and Three – Quarters

It was 31st of August and Jon was in his room preparing himself. Today would be the last day he could ask Uncle Drogo to drop him at King’s Cross. For the past week, Rhaego kept trying to push Jon to talk to Uncle Drogo or Aunt Dany about dropping him at King’s Cross on 1st of September.

The past month had been weird. The day Jon returned no one would talk to him. At around midnight Rhaego knocked at his door and told him the Uncle Drogo and Aunt Dany had instructed him that he wasn’t allowed to talk to Jon. Aunt Dany refused to talk or look at him. If it wasn’t for the plate of food on the table in front of his chair, he would have assumed she didn’t know that he even existed. She even took the dogs for their morning walks. Uncle Drogo also ignored him, but he would grunt in disgust whenever he entered the room.

Jon spends most of his day either reading his new books inside his room or taking Rhaegal out for a walk to the park. Every night Rhaego would sneak into his room and they would go through his books and talk about everything Jon had learned about the wizarding world. They spent a day trying to decide a name for his new owl before Jon decided to name him Ghost.

There were times Jon worried that Rhaego wanted to be a wizard as well but Rhaego made it pretty clear that he never wanted to become a wizard, “I don’t want magic. I would never be able to handle mom and dad hating me. Magic seems amazing but you didn’t see mom’s reaction to everything. She hates it. I think something happened to her. I don’t care that you are a wizard, but I would hate being a wizard. I like being a muggle.”

There was a knock at his bedroom door.

“Jon, it’s now or never,” Rhaego whispered and left.

Jon started counting. Ten minutes and then he would go downstairs and talk to Uncle Drogo. Rhaego would make sure that he was in a good mood.

* * *

Downstairs Rhaego sat next to his father watching the news. He had promised Jon that he would make sure that his father would be in a good mood. Three days ago, during one of his football matches, a scout from Brighton & Hove Albion Youth Academy had approached his coach and offered a trial for him in two weeks at the academy. The moment his coach informed him; a plan began forming in his head.

Riiiiiiiiing.

_Perfect timing._ Rhaego grinned as his father grumbled and got up to pick up the phone.

He continued staring at the television, but his complete attention was towards his father.

“Hello.”

“Yes.”

“What is it about?”

“Are you serious?”

“That’s amazing.”

“When is it going to be?”

“Definitely.”

“Thank you”

“Dany”, Drogo screamed calling her as he came hurrying back to the living room. He rushed towards Rhaego and grabbed him hugging him tightly.

“My boy. I’m so proud of you.”

Rhaego could hear his mother coming down the stairs.

“What is it?”, she asked wrapping a towel around her hair.

“My son has a trial at Brighton & Hove Albion Academy in two weeks.”

Dany joined them and hugged Rhaego whispering, “I am so proud of you.”

Rhaego knew that it was a perfect time, “Can we go to London tomorrow?”

“London?” Drogo asks looking at his son surprised.

“Yes, we can celebrate with lunch and I really want to buy new boots.”

“Okay we will go to London tomorrow,” Drogo agreed.

_Everything is falling in place. Only if Jon comes down for dinner before Dad becomes normal again._

Jon knew it had been ten minutes, but he was nervous. He closed his eyes and reassured himself before opening the door and walking downstairs. He entered the dining room just as the others were taking their seats.

“What are we going to do about him?” Drogo asked glaring at Jon.

“I can talk to Jhiqui or Doreah,” Daenerys replied staring at her plate.

“Every time we have to go somewhere, we have to plan for him. Can’t even take a trip to London without asks others for favors,” Drogo grumbled.

“You are going to London tomorrow?” Jon asked in shock.

“Yes, my son, unlike some others, is doing something useful for his future. He has a trial at Brighton. We are going to London to celebrate,” Drogo bragged.

Jon didn’t dare look at Rhaego. He knew if he looked at him, he would be glaring at him trying to tell him to speak up.

“Can you drop me at King’s Cross tomorrow?” he asked.

There was pin-drop silence for a moment before Drogo grunts in agreement.

“Thank you,” Jon said looking at Rhaego.

“Wizards going to school on a train. What happened to your broomsticks?” Drogo laughed.

“First-year students aren’t allowed to bring their own broomsticks,” Jon replied to find Aunt Dany and Uncle Drogo glaring at him.

“Where is the school located anyway?” Uncle Drogo asked.

Jon was stumped. He knew that it is in Reach in the wizarding world, but he had no idea where it was in the muggle world.

“I don’t know.”

He removed the ticket from his pocket. For the past one month, he had been carrying it everywhere fearing that it would go missing.

“It says that the train will depart from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o’clock,” Jon said reading the ticket.

“What?” Aunt Dany gasped in shock.

“There is no platform nine and three quarters,” Drogo scoffed and laughed.

“We’ll take to you to King’s Cross and then you are on your own.”

* * *

Jon couldn’t sleep. It was all too much. He was terrified, nervous, excited and happy at the same time. He packed everything and made sure for the fifth time that everything on his list was packed.

Jon felt like he was no longer in his body as he had his breakfast and sat in the car as Uncle Drogo drove to London. Soon they were in front of King’s Cross. Jon helped Uncle Drogo take out his trunk out of the car and onto a cart with Ghost in his cage. Drogo pushed the cart hurriedly while Jon, Rhaego, and Dany tried to keep up with him. Suddenly Drogo came to a stop.

“Here you are. Here is platform nine and here is platform ten,” Drogo said pointing at the platform signs.

“Goodluck reaching Hogwarts,” Drogo said.

Before Jon could say goodbye, Drogo grabbed Rhaego’s hand and dragged him away with Aunt Dany following him.

He was stuck. He didn’t know what to do. He checked the departure board and there was nothing. No trains leaving at eleven, no platform nine and three quarters and no trains to Hogwarts. He was desperate and he stopped a guard. The guard had never heard of Hogwarts. When he asked where Hogwarts was, Jon had no answer to give him. He started getting annoyed and scolded Jon for wasting his time with his stupid prank and walked away.

Jon wanted to start crying. He was lost. He tried not to panic. He knew if he started panicking, he wouldn’t be able to think. He checked the clock. He had ten minutes. He wondered if Tormund forgot to tell him something important. 

“packed with Muggles, every time,” he heard someone say.

He turned around to see a woman with dark auburn hair hurrying. She was practically dragging a 6-year-old redhead boy with a short girl with black hair following her. He noticed there were three more red-haired children following her. One of the boys and the girl had their own carts with a trunk and owl cage.

Jon knew that he had to follow them. He was worried that he would lose them, but it was easy to follow their redheads.

“Mum, why can’t I go,” he heard the black-haired girl complaining.

“Stop it, Arya. You and Bran are going to go next year. Both of you be glad you will be able to spend one more year with your parents and Rickon,” he heard the mother say with a sign.

It was clear that this wasn’t the first time they had this conversation.

“I am not complaining like a baby,” one of the two red-haired boys, he is assuming Bran complained.

The other red-haired boy snorted in disagreement.

“Can I just go?” the red-haired girl asked frustrated.

“Go ahead, Sansa,” the woman said.

The girl made sure that the owl cage and what looked like a pet carrier was placed properly over her trunk. He saw Arya roll her eyes. Sansa stood behind her cart and held the handle tight. She began walking forward between the two platforms. She kept walking. Jon wanted to close his eyes because he didn’t want to watch her crash, but he forced himself to keep his eyes open. She reached the barrier but instead of crashing she disappeared into the wall.

Jon squeezes his eyes closed and opens it wide. He couldn’t believe what he just saw. He hurried towards the lady.

“Excuse me,” Jon said to the woman.

She was tall and slim with kind blue eyes.

“Hello,” she says is a kind voice.

She noticed his trunk and owl cage, “First time at Hogwarts? It is Sansa’s first time as well. She just went through the barrier.”

“How did she do that? How to get to platform nine and three quarters,” he asked.

She looked at him kindly. Jon felt awkward and warm. He wasn’t used to this.

“Do not worry about crashing. You are a wizard. Trust the magic and walk straight at the barrier. Do not stop. It helps if you run. Robb did it last year, so you can go ahead of him,” she said pointing at the tallest red-haired guy.

Jon pushed his trolley and stood in front of the barrier. He took a deep breath and started walking towards the barrier. He started walking faster and soon he was running forward. He was terrified that he was going to crash but he kept running forward. As he neared the wall, he shut his eyes expecting to crash but it never happened. He opened his eyes to see a scarlet steam engine.

The platform was packed with kids and parents with trunks and cages of animals. There was a sign with Platform Nine and Three Quarters written on it. Jon tried to navigate through the crowd and find an empty compartment. Smoke from the engine spread over their heads. The first few carriages were already packed with students. Some were hanging out of their windows talking to their families.

“I think I lost my toad again,” Jon heard a round-faced boy say.

The boy looked very uncomfortable. He kept tugging on his shirt and pants so that it wasn’t extremely tight on his large form. An old regal-looking man wearing something straight out of a history book looked at the boy in disgust, “Oh, Sam.”

Jon kept pushing forward until he found an empty compartment. He put Ghost inside and tried to push his trunk in. Jon was never the strongest kid. Frequent punishments of no dinners meant he often was the weakest kid.

“Do you need help with that?”

Jon lost his grip on the trunk and it fell on his feet causing him to yell in pain.

“Oh shit, Renly help me out,” Jon heard the same voice say and two sets of arms came forward and helped Jon push his trunk off his feet and into the carriage.

“Thanks,” Jon said to the guys who helped him.

They were both older than him. One of them had long black hair with piercing blue eyes while the other had long brown hair with golden eyes.

“What’s that?” the guy Jon assumed was Renly asked him, pointing at his scar.

“Holy shit! Are you?” notRenly asked him.

“He is? Aren’t you?” Renly asked him.

“What?” Jon asked.

“Jon Snow,” both said together.

“Oh, him. I mean, yes I am,” he said.

Both of them stared at him. Jon wanted to escape, he didn’t know what to do, what to say.

_Would be rude if I just entered the carriage and leave?_

“Loras! Renly!” Jon heard someone yell.

“Got to go, bye Jon,” Loras waved dragging Renly along with him.

Jon entered one of the empty compartments and shut the door. He sat close the window looking at other children say goodbye to their family. The family that helped him were standing close to his window.

* * *

Catelyn was trying to fatten her son’s curls, “Did you even bother combing your hair, Robb?”

“Mom, stop it,” Robb tried to escape his mom.

“Does he even know what a comb is?” Arya said rolling her eyes.

Robb flicked her ear and she swatted his hand.

“Stop it both of you,” their mother said teary-eyed.

She turned towards her other daughter and hugged her, “My baby is already going to Hogwarts.”

“Mom, I am going to be fine. You are not even going to realize we are gone with Arya and Rickon running around,” she said hugging her back.

“Never,” her mother said kissing Sansa’s forehead.

She turned towards Robb, “Promise me you will take care of your sister.”

“Of course, Mom. Theon and I will take care of her,” Robb assured his mother.

Robb knew Sansa was too trusting. She was kind and nice to everyone and believed everyone was going to be good. He hoped she was sorted into Gryffindor so that he could make sure she didn’t hang out with the wrong people. None of his siblings liked her friendship with Margaery. She was a bit too cunning and selfish. His father wasn’t very fond of the Tyrells. He always complained that they were too ambitious.

“Mom you know it’s going to be the opposite and I’ll have to be the one taking care of him and Theon,” Sansa said annoyed at her brother.

Sansa loved her brother but when he and Theon are together there is always bound to be some problem.

“Hey! Take that back.” Robb said indignantly.

“Need I remind you about that-”

Robb pulled Sansa’s hair to stop her from blurting out their secret. Robb had had a hard time with Herbology in his first year. He just couldn’t understand why he had to study about plants when there were so many other exciting things to study. That was until he was called to Professor Tyrell’s office just before the Christmas holidays and was informed that if he did not improve, she would have to inform his parents about his dismal grades. He had spent his entire Christmas break getting tutored by Sansa in secret.

“As if,” Arya scoffed, “All Sansa cares about is he stupid books, stupid dresses, and stupid Jeyne and Margaery.”

“Just because they are not your friends that does not mean you can insult them,” Sansa glared at Arya.

Arya was always ruining everything. Whenever she was with Jeyne and Margaery, she would try to annoy them. Sansa had spent months on her birthday dress and Arya decided to ruin it by throwing orange juice at her and Margaery. She was always running wild and ruining her clothes playing Quidditch. Her father just laughed at Arya’s antics. He never cared that Arya was always creating a mess or she was always screaming and creating a ruckus driving their mother crazy. Arya got everything she asked for. Arya asked for a broomstick, she got it but if Sansa asked to go to Highgarden and visit Margaery it was always a no. It didn’t matter she behaved perfectly every day, he refused. It didn’t matter that Margaery’s parents visited them and spoken to him. Joffrey Lannister had invited her and Margaery to his 11th birthday party so that they could become friends before starting Hogwarts, but her father had refused her, but Arya could go to Hot Pie and Mycah’s birthday party.

Behind Sansa’s back Arya begins mocking Sansa.

_Sansa and her stupid books and her stupid clothes._

Everyone always told Arya to be nice like Sansa, be kind like Sansa, why can’t you be quiet like Sansa. She could never sit still for long to read. She doesn’t hate Sansa’s dresses, but they always got messy and tore when she ran around. She still remembers Sansa crying when she wore one of her dresses and accidentally tore it and her mother scolding her for ruining it. And she can’t stand Jeyne or Margaery. She knew Sansa wished that Arya was more like Jeyne and Margaery, but she wasn’t. Jeyne was always following Sansa around and had never screamed or ran around. Margaery, the name itself make Arya so angry. Margaery was always calling Sansa to Highgarden. She and Sansa shared everything. They were always together giggling and laughing. Sansa never saw how selfish Margaery was. Sansa had saved her pocket money for months to buy a poster of the Weird Sisters and when Margaery began crying, she just gave it to her.

_If she didn’t want it, she could have given it to ME._

She hated that even though Margaery knew that Sansa hated green she bought her a green bracelet that matched her bracelet and had a charm that said _‘Sisters.’_ Sansa always wore it. She never took it off. 

“Mom did you know the kid at muggle platform was Jon Snow,” Bran said trying to distract his sisters.

He knew that once his sister started, their fight would never end.

“Mom can I go on the train and see him, Mum, please,” Arya started begging to her mom.

“Yes Bran, I knew that kid was Jon Snow. I saw the scar. And no Arya, he is not an animal at the zoo that you can go and gawk at,” Catelyn replied.

“Why didn’t you tell us mom,” Sansa asked whining.

“Do you think he remembers what the Night King looks like?” Robb asked.

“And that was exactly why I didn’t tell you. Robb Stark, don’t you dare go asking that poor boy hurtful questions. He doesn’t need someone reminding him about it on his first day,” Catelyn glared at Robb.

“Okay, mum.” 

The steam engine whistled to warn students on the platform that they are about to leave. Sansa and Robb climbed onto the train. Rickon began crying as they said their goodbyes.

“Don’t cry Rickon, we’ll send you loads of letters,” Sansa kissed Rickon’s head.

“We’ll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat,” Robb screamed.

“Robb!” Catelyn yelled only for her kids to burst out laughing as the train began moving.

* * *

Jon was excited. The train had just pulled out of the platform and he couldn’t wait to start at Hogwarts. The door slides open. It was the red-headed guy from the platform. Along with him was a lean boy with dark hair and dark eyes.

“Do you mind if we sit here? Everywhere else it is full,” he asked.

“Sure,” Jon said nodding his head.

“Hi! I am Robb Stark,” the redhead said putting his hand forward.

“I am Jon Snow,” Jon said shaking his hand. “

Jon Snow!” the other guy exclaimed.

“I am Theon Greyjoy,” he introduced himself and kept staring at Jon’s scar.

“So that’s where the Night King-” before he completed his sentence Jon interrupted him

“Yes, but I don’t remember it.”

“Nothing?” Robb asked.

“Just green light, nothing else,” Jon replied trying to finish the discussion.

“That must have been one awkward family gathering where your grandfather tries to kill you,” Theon commented.

“Theon!” Robb yelled at Theon while Jon’s eyes widen in shock.

Jon was expecting a lot of things but that wasn’t one of them.

“Chill Robb. Look, kid, your grandfather was one of the evilest wizards to have existed and your father helped him,” Theon said.

“I know that,” Jon replied upset at Theon’s rude comment.

“That’s good. I’m one of the only guys who is going to get it, you know. Dealing with the fact your relative was evil,” Theon explained.

“Really?” Jon asked skeptically.

“Was your-”

“father a White Walker? Yes. He was responsible for spreading the Mad King’s message to Essos and Sothoryos,” Theon explained.

“He was worse than the other White Walkers. He was in Essos when the Mad King disappeared. He managed to escape the Ministry when they were rounding up the other White Walkers. He spent 5 years gathering support before attacking the Ministry and tried to kill a lot of prominent wizards. He was killed and I was sent to live with my sister at Pyke,” Theon said shrugging his shoulder pretending it didn’t matter.

Jon knew it did. He looked at Theon in his eyes and nodded his head he understood what Theon was trying to tell him.

“Which year are you guys in?” Jon asked.

“Second Year, I’m in Gryffindor and Theon is in Slytherin,” Robb said pretending to gag when he said Slytherin.

“Shut it pup, we won the House Cup fair and square,” Theon said shoving Robb.

“Yes, it was soooo fair and square when Professor Baratheon took points from Gryffindor because Renly and Loras were breathing too loudly on the last day,” Robb replied glaring at Theon.

“Wait until Sansa joins Gryffindor. She is going win us points every hour,” Robb said with a smug look on his face.

“What if she joins Slytherin?” Theon asked wagging his eyebrows.

“No Stark has ever been in Slytherin,” Robb dismissed Theon.

“Are all your family wizards?” Jon asks them.

“Pretty much, our families are one of the Great Houses,” Theon said.

“I heard you lived with Muggles. Dad has always been fascinated with Muggle stuff. Every time he meets Vayon Poole he starts interrogating him,” Robb asked.

“Mr. Poole is a muggle-born. It is hilarious watching him trying to explain Mr. Stark how microwave ovens work,” Theon explained.

“My uncle and cousin are Muggles. My aunt is a Squib. I wish I had siblings who were wizards,” Jon replied.

“It’s not all that great, my sister is a sailor, so she is out in the sea a lot,” Theon explained.

“He is right. Arya and Rickon are wild. I fear for everyone when they enter Hogwarts. Arya is going to join next year. You will see. Bran and Sansa are way too intelligent for their own good. Sansa knows everything. It is so annoying. And don’t get me started on Bran. He always has the weirdest things to say,” Robb said frustrated but with affection.

“At least your grandfather isn’t Aerys,” Jon tried to cheer up Robb and Theon awkwardly.

Instead of laughing they stare at him.

“What?” Jon asked.

“You said the Night Kings’ name. No one says his name,” Theon whispered.

“Sorry, I just never knew about him, so I never learned not to say his name. I don’t know a lot of things. I will have to learn a lot,” Jon explained.

“Don’t worry. There are going to be a lot of muggle-borns in the same boat as you,” Robb assured him.

“And if you are failing just ask Sansa, she’ll help you out. That’s what Robb does,” Theon teased Robb.

They keep talking as the cityscape changes to fields. Around half-past twelve there heard a lot of noise and the door was opened by a woman pushing a cart, “Anything from the cart, kids?”

“I have sandwiches,” Theon muttered looking down.

“I’m not buying anything. I have been saving my pocket money to buy the new Nimbus 2000,” Robb shrugged removing a sandwich from his backpack.

Jon didn’t have anything for lunch, so he walked towards the door planning to buy Snickers or Dairy Milk, but the lady didn’t have them. Instead, she had sweets he had never seen. Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, Drooble’s Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Jon had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss anything, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.

Theon and Robb looked at Jon in shock.

“You are really hungry,” Theon said with a shocked look on his face.

“Starving. Want to share?” Jon asked.

“Sure,” Robb and Theon yelled.

Jon, Robb, and Theon began decimating the sandwiches and pile of candies.

“What are these?”

Jon asked pointing at a pack of Chocolate Frogs, “These are not really frogs, right?”

“No. The more important thing is the cards. We collect cards of famous witches and wizards. I am missing Cregan Stark and Alester Tyrell,” Robb explained.

Jon opened his Chocolate Frog and picks up the card. It had a picture of a man wearing half-moon glasses. He had long silver hair and beard with piercing blue eyes. Underneath the picture, written in gold was the man’s name _‘Jon Arryn’_.

Jon turned the card around.

** _JON ARRYN _ **

_CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS_

_Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Arryn is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark wizard Walder Frey in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon’s blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Arryn enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling_.

Jon turned his card around, and it was empty. The picture of Professor Arryn had vanished.

“He’s gone!” Jon exclaimed in shock.

“Of course, he is gone. You can’t expect him to stay there forever,” Theon rolled his eyes at Jon.

“In the Muggle world, people don’t leave their photographs. They stay in them,” Jon explained.

“They don’t move at all?” Robb asked.

Jon nodded his head. _Moving Pictures!_ Jon wondered what else was different in the wizarding world. The wizarding world was a confusing contradiction. On hand you had broomsticks, quills, parchment paper, and trains, on the other hand, you had moving pictures, transporting barriers. 

Jon grabbed a bag of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans and opened it.

“This is going to be fun,” Theon said gleefully rubbing his hands together.

“Be careful. They really mean every flavor. There are good flavors like chocolate, peppermint, and caramel but you can always get bad flavors like spinach and tripe. Arya refuses to go near them ever since she got a liver-flavored bean. Bran, on the other hand, has never had a bad flavor,” Robb explained and grabbed a green-colored bean.

He bit into it and made a face.

“Ewww, Sprouts. Disgusting,” Robb stuck his tongue out in disgust.

Theon tried one and got blueberry to his joy. Jon tried more flavor and got toast, coconut, baked bean, curry, grass, and sardine. After sardine, he decided he had had enough.

The countryside had changed into more wooded scenery. Someone knocked on the door and slid it open.

“Have you seen a toad here?” the round-faced boy asked.

He was the same boy who was missing his toad at the platform. Three of them shook their heads.

“I can’t believe I lost him again. Dickon has asked the prefects to find him, but no one can find him.”

“If we find him will give him to Dickon,” Robb assured him. 

“Thanks,” said the boy walking away.

“If I was him, I would be happy I lost that toad. Who even keeps a toad anymore?” said Robb.

“Probably the same person who thought that bringing a rat to school was a good idea,” a girl said from the door.

Jon turned around to see Robb’s red-haired sister. She had an adorable dog running around her legs and was already dressed in her school uniform. She entered the compartment dropping something on Robb’s lap and sat next to Jon. A girl with brown and brown eyes followed her in and sat next to Theon.

“Scabbers!” Robb exclaimed holding a rat.

“If you have decided to bring a rat with you, make sure you keep him with you and stop him from coming close to me. Lady almost ate him,” said Sansa with a look of disgust on her face.

“Lady wouldn’t hurt a fly,” scoffed Theon.

Lady jumped onto Sansa’s lap and tucks herself as Sansa pats her.

“Where’s Margaery?” Robb asked. He was expecting Margaery to be wherever Sansa was going to be.

“Margaery lives in Reach. Why will she travel to London and take Hogwarts Express back to Reach?” Sansa asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I saw Loras at the platform,” Robb tried to explain turning red in embarrassment.

“That’s because he spent his summer with Renly,” Sansa’s friend explained with a laugh.

“What species of dog is that?” Jon asked pointing at Lady.

“Lady isn’t a dog, she is a direwolf,” Sansa explained.

When she realized Jon still looks very confused, she began explaining, “Direwolves are not dogs, they are closer to wolves. They are only tamed by Starks because they are our sigil.”

“What is a sigil?” Jon asked.

“Some houses have animals or weapons that represent their houses and their symbol. We are allowed to train them or with them depending on what it is. Direwolves are Starks’. Every Stark has a Direwolf. Before bringing them to Hogwarts we have to get certification from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Lady got hers on the first try,” Sansa said with a smug expression looking at Robb.

“Greywind will get his on his next try,” said Robb defensively.

“We know Greywind will be at Hogwarts before Nymeria or Shaggydog,” said Theon supporting Robb.

“Do the Greyjoys have a sigil,” asked Jon.

“Ya. Kraken. A giant sea monster is never going to get certificated,” Theon replied with a shrug.

Jon turned towards the other girl to see her staring at his scar.

When their eyes met, she got flustered and said, “I am Jeyne Poole. Sansa and I are going to be in first-year.”

“I am Jon Snow. I am going to be in First-Year too,” said Jon.

“I have read about you in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century,” said Sansa staring at his scar.

“You read about me in a book?” asked Jon in shock.

Sansa nodded her head.

“So, Theon are you going to tell us?” Jeyne asked Theon.

“No way,” Theon replied with a laugh

Jeyne punched his arm and whined, “But why?”

“I have been asking Robb all summer and he won’t tell me anything,” Sansa said with a pout.

“We are not allowed to tell anyone how the sorting happens,” Robb said looking amused.

He clearly had been asked with the same question multiple times.

“I don’t know which house I am going to be in. I know I am not going to be in Slytherin. Maybe Gryffindor,” said Jeyne.

“Hey! Slytherin is not bad. Jon is going to be in Slytherin,” Theon exclaimed.

“I am?” Jon asked confused.

“Every Targaryen has been sorted into Slytherin. Just like every Stark has been sorted into Gryffindor,” Robb explained as Jon became worried.

_I don’t want to be in Slytherin._

“You know that is bullshit, Robb. There is no proof of that theory. Plus, Mom was in Hufflepuff and Jon’s mum was in Gryffindor. So even if your theory of us being sorted in the same house as our ancestors is true why can’t we be sorted into the same house as our mums?” Sansa asked with an angry look on her face.

“Come on Jeyne, we better return to our compartment and help Sam find his toad. You guys better change into your school uniform.”

Sansa and Jeyne walk out of the compartment with Sansa carrying Lady in her arms. Sansa knew she shouldn’t have lashed out in anger but whenever Robb spoke about her being in the same house as him, she just wanted to scream. The whole summer Robb spent telling Sansa about the Gryffindor common room, his housemates, and making plans once she is sorted into Gryffindor. He always assumed it was a sure thing she was going to be sorted into Gryffindor just because she was a Stark. She didn’t want to be in the same house as him. She loves her brother, but she doesn’t want to be known for the next seven years as Robb’s sister.

“I don’t think I have ever heard Sansa yell at you,” Theon said in shock at Sansa’s outburst.

“We had an argument before we left. You know how I don’t like friendship with Margaery. And over the summer Joffrey Lannister has been sending owls trying to become friends. When dad and I tried to tell her, she shouldn’t be hanging out with Lannisters she called me a hypocrite because I am friends with you and Loras,” Robb explained frustrated.

“She doesn’t get it is not about families. There is a good reason dad wants her to be far away from the Lannisters and start distancing herself from Margaery,” Robb continued.

“You guys need to stop being so overprotective about Sansa. You are smothering her,” Theon said.

“You know how naïve she is,” Robb argued.

“And she is always going to be naïve if you don’t let her make her own mistakes,” Theon argued back.

Robb keeps his mouth shut. He knows Theon was not going to understand why his whole family was so protective of Sansa. What happened ten years ago was kept within a small circle. The Greyjoys unfortunately because of Euron were never going to be part of that circle. Luckily Jon came to his rescue.

“How did your sister know which house my mother was in?” Jon asked.

“Your mom was friends with my Uncle Benjen,” Robb explained.

“Whenever he visited, he would tell us stories about his adventures.”

Jon’s eyes lit up with joy. He knew nothing about his mother and he never thought he could meet someone who knew his mother.

“Is he still in Romania?” Theon asked.

“Uncle Benjen is the coolest person you will ever meet. He works with Dragons,” Theon said to Jon with admiration in his voice.

“We visited him today morning before coming to King’s Cross. He got called to Iron Bank to make sure all the dragons are fine after what happened,” Robb said.

“What happened?” Jon asked.

“Didn’t you read the paper? It’s all over the Daily Prophet. Someone tried to break into a high-security vault.”

“What?” both Jon and Theon asked loudly.

“That’s why dad wasn’t at the station to drop Sansa and me. He was in Iron Bank. They have been so busy for the past month. Both of them have barely been home. They suspect it was a powerful Dark Wizard and a lot of people are panicking because they haven’t forgotten the Mad King,” Rob explained. 

Jon sat silently thinking. Tormund was so confident that only a fool would try to break into the Iron Bank was someone had done that and from what it sounds like succeeded.

“Are you going to go for the quidditch tryouts? What positions are open in Gryffindor?” Theon asked.

“Chaser and Seeker positions are open,” Robb said.

He looked at Jon and asked, “Have you played Quidditch before?”

“Not really, grew up Muggle, remember?” Jon explained.

Theon and Robb began explaining him the sport; the seven positions, four balls, and the tactics.

* * *

Jon was explained Robb and Theon how to play football when the door slid open again. It was the boy Jon met in Kings Landing. He was followed by two guys. Both were tall, large and looked mean.

“So, is it true? Everyone is saying that Jon Targaryen is in this compartment,” he said looking pointedly at Jon.

“Yes, that’s me,” Jon replied.

“This is Trant and Blount. And my name is Joffrey Lannister,” he said in a lazy tone.

Theon snort causing Joffrey to look at him.

“Greyjoy and Stark. A scoundrel and a savage. I know you are purebloods, but I cannot believe Hogwarts is letting you lot in. No wonder mother decided to send Myrcella to overseas,” Joffery said looking down at the two boys.

“Mother had some hopes for your sister after Margaery told her how different she was from the other northern savages. She thought maybe there was a Stark who wasn’t going to be an embarrassment, but your father is too stubborn,” Joffrey said turning back towards Jon ignoring Robb who was turning red in rage and Theon trying to hold him back.

“You will soon find out not all pureblood families are equal. Some are better than others. You don’t want to be friends with the wrong lot. I can help you out with that,” he said holding his hand forward.

Jon ignored it.

“I think I can judge who is right and who is wrong myself, thanks,” Jon replied coolly.

“I would be careful if I were you Targaryen. Don’t want to be ending up like your parents. Your mum was friends with Starks and look what happened to her,” he said slowly.

A flash of rage goes through Jon and he jumped up wanting to punch the blond in his face, but he stopped. He could easily beat Joffrey, but he didn’t think the three of them could beat his lackeys.

“Leave now,” Jon growled angrily.

“I don’t think so. I’m hungry and you lot seem to have some food,” Joffrey said reaching into the pile of chocolates next to Robb before yelping and jumping back.

Hanging off his finger was a rat with his teeth digging into Joffrey’s skin. Joffrey screamed and swung Scabbers around causing him to fly and hit the wind.

“What is happening here?” they heard Sansa ask as she entered the already crowded compartment.

“Your brother’s rat bit me,” Joffrey cried.

“What?” Sansa screamed glaring at Robb.

She looked at Joffrey’s hand and then at Trant, “There is a healer in compartment 5. We had to take Sam there when he accidentally banged his head. She should be able to help him out.”

Joffrey and his lackeys left.

Sansa glared at them, “I can’t believe you, Robb. Attacking other students?”

“It wasn’t my fault Sansa,” Robb argued.

“Of course, it wasn’t your fault. Just like it wasn’t your fault at the Baratheon’s party. Just like it wasn’t Arya’s fault for ruining my party. Do you know that everyone calls us savages because we are Starks from the north? You attacking other students isn’t going to help our reputation.”

Robb looked down guiltily as Sansa continued after taking a deep breath to calm herself down, “We are going to reach Hogsmeade soon, so you better wear your robes now before it is too late.”

She spins around and leaves. Sansa walked down the corridor shaking her head at her brother’s antics. Margaery and her grandmother had warned her. She needed to make sure Robb didn’t keep getting in trouble.

She can hear Olenna Tyrell’s words, “Starks have always been known to be wild and savages. Your Uncle Brandon’s temper was legendary. Did you know your father could have easily become the Minister? But the Stark reputation stopped him. If you are not too careful the same thing is going to happen to you and your siblings.”

“Your sister has a knack of catching you at the worst possible time,” said Theon sympathetically.

Robb sat down and groans, “This is all Margaery’s fault.”

“How?” Jon asked confused at Robb hatred towards a girl Jon hasn’t even met yet.

“I don’t know. A year ago, I could do no wrong in Sansa’s eyes. I came back after the first year and I keep doing stupid things in front of her.”

Jon looked out the window and notices the train slowing down. The three of them dress up quickly.

A voice announced, “We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes’ time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately.”

Jon all of sudden felt nauseous because of his nerves.

Theon took one look at him and said, “Hey! If Robb and I could survive it, it shouldn’t be a problem for you.”

The train slowed down and stopped. People got down the train. The platform was cold, tiny and dark. They spot a lantern coming towards them and Jon heard Tormund say, “First-year! First-year students over here.”

Robb and Theon wave him goodbye as he walked toward Tormund. All the first years gathered around Tormund and followed him. They walked down a narrow path to reach a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

“No more than four on a boat,” Tormund screamed, and children began scrambling to find a boat.

Jon climbed a boat with two other boys and a girl whom he hadn’t met yet. In the boat next to him carried Sansa, Jeyne, Sam and another girl with styled brown hair and pale heart-shaped face.

The boys in his boat introduced themselves. The first boy was taller than Jon with wide shoulders and dark hair and eyes called Grenn Finnigan. The second boy had black curly hair and dark skin with lanky arms and legs and a goofy smile called Pypar Thomas, but he insisted they called him Pyp. The girl was shy and tiny. She had brown hair and brown eyes that were too large on her small thin face. They could barely hear her voice when she said her name was Gilly Craster.

Pypar hilariously kept enacting his parents’ reaction when Professor Tyrion appeared at their doorstep and informed them that Pyp was a wizard. He seemed very enthusiastic being a muggle-born and discovering the wizarding world. He found everything fantastic and Grenn would roll his eyes at it. Grenn explained that his father was a muggle who married a witch and came to know about the wizarding world just a couple of years ago.

“Everyone in?” Tormund asked sitting alone in his boat.

Tormund glanced over all the students and once he saw they were all settled in he yelled, “Forward.” This was the best part of his job, seeing the joy, shock, and awe in the faces of these children when they first traveled to Hogwarts.

Everyone was silent staring at the towering castle as the sailed close to the cliff. They ducked as they reached the cliff and sailed past a curtain of ivy vines. They traveled through a tunnel and reached a small harbor underneath the castle. They all climbed out of the boats. Pyp had to help Gilly who wouldn’t stop shivering and Grenn bumped into Jon as he stumbled out of the boat.

“Whose toad is this?” Tormund asked holding up a toad.

“Trevor!” Sam screamed holding out his hand and grabbing his toad.

The kids walked behind Hagrid up the stairs to a yard with green grass. They walked up the stairs to stand in front of a huge oak door. Tormund raised his hand and knocked thrice. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if I have mentioned this before but English isn't my first language. For me writing this fanfic is an opportunity to improve my writing ability. One thing I am having a problem with is tenses. When to use past and present especially when writing dialogues. I would love to get some advice on that. 
> 
> Question for this chapter. Who do you think should be Umbridge? (I have plans for Cersei so not her.) 
> 
> Signing Out...


	7. The Sorting Hat

The door swung open. Standing at the door was a tall witch wearing grey robes and headgear that covered her hair. She had a strict face and Jon knew that nothing would get past her.

“The First-Year Student, Professor Mordane,” Tormund said waving his hand pointing towards the kids.

“Thank you, Tormund,” she said nodding at Tormund.

Tormund winked at the kids and moved aside to let them enter the hall. All the children entered a large entrance hall. The stone walls held lit torches. Professor Mordane glanced over the kids with her sharp eyes. She paused at Sam.

“All students are instructed to leave the trunks and pets in the train,” she said looking at the toad he was holding.

“I’m s-s-sorry. I lost him in the t-t-train. I just found him. I didn’t mean to bring him with me,” Sam explained nervously.

Sam looked like he was going to start crying as Professor Mordane kept staring at him with stern eyes. She held her hands forward for the toad. Sam stumbled forward giving her the toad.

“He will be in your room after dinner,” she informed him.

Professor turned around and began walking forward up the marble staircase. The children looked at each other before following her into a smaller chamber. She waited for all of them to enter.

“Welcome to Hogwarts. The start of term banquet will begin shortly. Before you take your seat, you will be sorted into your Houses. It is an important ceremony. Your House is going to become your second family. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory and spend your free time in your House common room. There are four Houses; Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has a rich history, a history of producing outstanding wizards and witches. Your triumphs will earn your House points and your misbehavior will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with most points is awarded the House Cup. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the professors and students. I will give you time to make yourselves presentable.”

Professor Mordane’s critical eyes observed each student, pausing at San’s crooked cloak and Pyp’s loose tie.

“I will be back in a few minutes,” she turned around leaving the room.

“How do you think they are going to sort us?” Pyp asked the rest of them.

Jon shook his head.

“Some sort of test, I think. Grandma said it hurt a lot but Loras kept giggling, so I think she was just joking,” said the girl standing with Sansa and Jeyne.

Jon could feel panic creeping up. Logically, he knew the test couldn’t be too hard. Not with so many muggle-borns who had just begun exploring the wizarding world. He glanced around and a lot of them looked terrified like him. Sansa’s constant muttering under her breath didn’t help ease his nerves.

_What if I do so terrible that they kick me out? I will have to go back and live with Uncle Drogo again. _

Suddenly people behind him began screaming. Jon turned around to see Jeyne gaping at a wall. He looks at the wall and screams with the rest of them. About twenty ghosts had entered the room through the wall. They were white and translucent. The float across the room arguing with each other.

“Forgive and forget, we should give him a second chance. That is what the Seven tells us to do,” a fat short monk said.

“Friar, we have already given Peeves so many chances. He gives us all a bad name even though he isn’t even a ghost,” said a ghost with really ruffled top and clothes that looked centuries old.

He noticed the children and asked, “What are you all doing here?”

Pyp let out a whimper. The ghost turned towards Pyp amused at his reaction. He floated towards him and got close to his face.

The ghost looked into Pyp’s eyes and whispered, “Boo.”

Pyp screamed jumping backward stumbling into Grenn. All the ghost except for Fat Friar began laughing. Friar float close to the ruffle wearing ghost.

“Stop it now. Welcome to Hogwarts new students! About to be sorted?” Fat Friar asked kindly.

A few students nodded their heads.

“Hope to see some of you in Hufflepuff. It is my old House,” he said.

The door opens and Professor Mordane entered the room.

“The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin,” she informed them.

The ghosts began floating out wishing them luck.

“All the student will form a line and follow me in an orderly manner,” she instructed and began out of the room towards a pair of large doors.

All the students began scrambling behind her. Jon stood behind Sam. Sansa stood between Jeyne and Margaery in front of Sam. The Professor opened the door and began walking forward.

Jon was stunned. He had never seen anything like this. It was grand, grander than anything he had ever imagine. The Great Hall was straight out of the past. It was lit by thousands of candles that floated in midair over four long tables. There were gold plates and goblets with cutlery. At the center of the table, there were empty dishes. At the end of the hall, there was a long table where the teachers were sitting. The professor led them forward until there were standing in front of the teacher’s table. Mordane indicated them to turn around so that they were facing the other students. So many eyes were staring at them. Jon looked up expecting a grand ceiling with chandelier probably resembling the Sistine Chapel. Instead, all he saw was the beautiful night’s sky with twinkling stars.

“The ceiling is bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History,” Sansa said staring at the ceiling.

Sansa looked at the Gryffindor table were Robb was sitting next to Loras and Renly and gave them a small wave. Robb grinned back at her. When she left the train, she had been upset with Robb, but he was her older brother, her hero for her whole life. But he was still just a normal person who had his flaws and made mistakes. Sansa needed to make sure Robb’s didn’t permanently affect his future. When Margaery told her about the trouble Robb was getting into, she didn’t believe her until he came back home for Christmas asking her to help him with Herbology. That’s when Professor Tyrell sent her the letter. Sansa had never known that despite being one of the Great Houses at equal standing with other houses, the Starks were looked down upon because of how isolated they were and were considered to be savages. She told her how Uncle Brandon had died because of Stark wildness and that she saw the same wildness in Robb. Her father was the Head of the Auror Office. But she had never known that the reason he was never promoted was because he was a Stark and he had made an enemy of Tywin Lannister, the Minister of Magic and his son Jamie. She had never known that her mother had left her job as a healer to take of them. Olenna Tyrell had explained to her that she needed to make sure things changed for the Starks if she wanted a better future for herself and her siblings. 

Sansa saw Professor Mordane bring a four-legged stool and place it in front of the first years. On top of the stool, she put an old pointed wizard’s hat. The hat looked worn and dirty.

_Mother would have never let this hat enter our house._

Everyone was staring at the hat. There was pin-drop silence in the Great Hall. The hat twitched. There was a rip near the brim of the hat that moved. The rip opened wide like a mouth and the hat began to sing.

_“Oh, you may not think I’m pretty,_

_But don’t judge on what you see,_

_I’ll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I’m the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There’s nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can’t see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you’ve a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You’ll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don’t be afraid!_

_And don’t get in a flap!_

_You’re in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I’m a Thinking Cap!”_

The whole hall burst into a round of applause and the hat took a bow. Jon gave a sigh of relief. He just had to wear the hat. Although, the fact that he had to wear the hat in front of all the students and professors was still frightening. Professor Mordane stepped forward with a long roll of parchment.

“When I call out your name, you will step forward and put on the hat. You will sit on the stool and will be sorted into your Houses,” she said.

“Ashford, Andrew!”

A blond boy stepped forward nervously. He put on the hat.

Within two seconds the hat shouted, “Hufflepuff!”

A table cheered and clapped as Andrew ran and sat down in one of the empty seats.

Professor Mordane continued calling out names and one by one the students were sorted.

“Blount, Boros!”

One of Joffrey’s henchmen stepped forward.

“Slytherin!”

As if Jon needed another reason to not want to be in Slytherin.

“Craster, Gilly!”

“Hufflepuff!”

“Finnegan, Grenn”

Pyp patted Grenn on his back as he stepped forward. Grenn put on the hat and sat on the stool. With Andrew, the hat took barely two seconds to declare his house, but the hat seemed to take longer with other students like Gilly and Grenn.

A minute later the hat screamed, “Gryffindor!”

“Lannister, Joffrey!”

Jon viciously hoped that Joffrey would be sorted into Hufflepuff. Unfortunately for Jon the hat barely touched Joffrey’s head before screaming, “Slytherin!”

“Poole, Jeyne!”

“Hufflepuff!”

Jon began getting more nervous as it came closer to his turn. What if the hat put him in Slytherin with Joffrey? Worse. What if it couldn’t sort him at all and everything was a big giant error.

“Snow, Targaryen, Jon!”

Jon walked forward nervously. He could see the other students staring at him and hear their whispers.

“Is that really him?”

“The Jon Snow?”

“Where was he for so many years?”

“He looks nothing like I imagined him to be like.”

Jon picked up the hat and put it on. The hat covered his eyes and all he could see was the inside of the hat.

“Hmm”, a voice said in his ear.

“Interest. Really difficult. Where should I put you? A lot of courage and quite a bit of talent, I see. Wait. What is that? I see it. I see it very clearly. The thirst. The thirst and ambition to prove that you are better than them”

Jon couldn’t breathe.

He had only one thought going through his mind, _Not Slytherin. Please, anything but Slytherin. Put me Hufflepuff, I don’t care. Just not Slytherin._

“Not Slytherin, eh?” the hat questioned.

“But that has been the House every Targaryen has belonged to. Hmm. Let me see…”

Jon waited nervously.

“Gryffindor!”

Jon took off the hat and walked to the Gryffindor table in relief. Robb gave Jon a hug and slapped his back.

“I can’t wait to rub it in Theon’s face. Jon Snow is in Gryffindor!” he said gleefully.

Loras and Renly were yelling, “We got Snow! We got Snow!”

Jon sat next to Robb. Sitting opposite him was the other ghost from earlier.

He gave Jon a wide smile and said, “Welcome to Gryffindor.”

The ghost patted his hand. Instead of feeling any contact the ghost’s hand went through his. All he could feel was ice cold.

Jon looked towards the High Table where the teachers were sitting. The first-person Jon noticed was Tormund. He was grinning at Jon. Jon gave him a wide smile back. He was the only person who knew how badly Jon didn’t want to be in Slytherin. At the center of the table, there was a large gold chair. Sitting on that was Jon Arryn. Jon noticed Professor Hollard sitting slouched. He looked nervous and wore a purple turban. Professor Martell sat on the furthest end of the table, but he looked at Jon and winked at him.

“Stark, Sansa!”

Sansa stepped forward. She was nervous but she didn’t allow anyone to see it in her face. She picked up the hat and put it on top of her head reluctantly.

“Hello,” she heard a tiny voice.

_Hello, _Sansa thought.

“Another Stark I see. I see the same courage and honor in you, the same courage and honor I saw in your brother and so many other Starks. I should put you in Gryffindor, but I also see something else. Ambition and intelligence. You would do good in Gryffindor, but I can see the greatness you will achieve if you are in RAVENCLAW,” the hat shouted the last word.

Sansa grinned and hopped off the chair gracefully and walked toward the cheering table.

“What?” yelled a shocked Robb.

He couldn’t believe Sansa wasn’t going to be in Gryffindor. While a part of him was sad that his sister would not be in the same house as he is, a larger part was proud. Sansa would flourish in Ravenclaw. He clapped enthusiastically with the Ravenclaw students and hollered. Sansa turned towards him. She saw him grinning at her and gave him a big smile as she sat down.

“You okay?” Jon asked Robb.

“As long as she is happy, I am happy,” Robb said with a smile.

“Tarly, Sam!”

Sam stumbled walking towards the stool. Jon could see Joffrey and few kids sitting next to him laugh at him.

“Ravenclaw!”

Sam sat shocked in his seat. Professor Mordane cleared her throat. Sam jumped off the chair and ran to the Ravenclaw table. A tall, handsome boy sitting on the Gryffindor table cheered him on with the Ravenclaw students.

“Thomas, Pyp!”

“Gryffindor!”

Jon and Grenn clapped along with the other Gryffindor student and thumped his back when he sat down between them.

“Trant, Meryn!”

“Slytherin!”

“Tyrell, Margaery!”

“Slytherin!”

“Now I am really happy,” Robb whispered.

Professor Mordane rolled up the scroll and took the Sorting Hat away once the final student was sorted. Jon’s stomach began growling in hunger. He hoped no one could hear it.

Jon Arryn stood up. He was beaming at the students.

“Welcome!” he said with his hand wide open.

“Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our dinner, I would like to say a few words. Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!”

He sat back down. Everyone clapped and cheered. Jon was shocked. He wasn’t sure whether to laugh or not.

He was about to turn towards Robb but was shocked. The empty dishes on the tables were filled with food. Jon had never seen that much food. There were dishes of roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and peppermint humbugs. Jon piled his plate with a bit of everything and began eating. He had never eaten better food.

“That looks so good,” the ghost said looking at Jon’s plate.

“Can ghosts eat?” Jon asked.

“I haven’t eaten anything for over five hundred years. I don’t need it, but I do miss it,” he said sadly.

“I am Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, the resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower,” he introduced himself.

“I know who you are,” Grenn exclaimed.

“You are Nearly Headless Nick!”

The ghost glared at Grenn and said, “I prefer to be called Sir Nicholas de Mimsy- “

“How can you be nearly headless?” Pyp interrupted.

The ghost looked extremely irritated and said, “Like this.”

He grabbed his left ear and pulled it. His whole head swung off his neck and fell on his shoulder like opening a flap. Someone had tried to behead him but had failed to cut his head off completely. Few first-year students screamed in shock. The senior students laughed at their reactions. Nearly Headless Nick put his head back into place.

“I hope you guys win the House Championship this year. Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron has become unbearable to be with,” he said looking at the new Gryffindor students.

“He is the Slytherin ghost,” Robb said pointing towards the Slytherin table.

There was a terrifying ghost sitting there. He had a gaunt face with vacant eyes. His robes were covered with silver blood. He looked like he had come straight out of the House of the Dead. 

“How did he get covered in blood?” Pyp asked looking at the Baron.

“I never dared to ask,” Nearly Headless Nick said.

* * *

Once everyone was done, the remaining food disappeared and was replaced with desserts. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs, and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding and lemon cakes appeared.

Sansa grabbed a couple of lemon cakes. First-year Ravenclaw students were sitting together and talking about themselves.

“My brother Dickon is in Gryffindor,” said Sam.

“Our grandfather, Randyll Tarly brought us up. He is a wizard. My family thought I was a squib for ages. He once tried to catch me off guard and force some magic out of me. He pushed me off the end of a pier at Blackwater Bay. I nearly drowned but luckily Dickon jumped in and saved me,” Sam said casually.

A couple of kids laughed at Sam’s story, but Sansa stared at him horrified at the story.

Sam continued, “He hired people to make sure I was a wizard. Nothing happened until I was eight. Maester Pycelle was hanging me out of a window when he got distracted by Dickon practicing archery. He accidentally let me go but I bounced down the lawn till I reached the gate. Everyone was so pleased and happy. Grandpa bought me Trevor as a present.”

Sansa couldn’t believe someone treated Sam like that. She began talking to one of the senior students and prefect, Beth Cassel. She was talking about Transfiguration classes when Beth’s cousin and fellow prefect Jory called her from the Gryffindor table next to them. 

“At least there were no controversies like last year,” Jory said to the students on both the tables.

“Controversy?” Jon asked.

“Last year Mya Stone got sorted into Slytherin. She is a muggle-born,” he explained.

A few first-year students gasped on both the tables.

“What is wrong with that?” Pyp asked defensively.

“No muggle-born had ever been sorted into Slytherin,” Jory explained.

“The rest of them came to know she was a muggle-born. She went the Professor Mordane and asked her if she could change her house. When the professor asked her why she didn’t give her a reason. Obviously, no one can change their Houses. Mordane spoke to Professor Baratheon. I don’t know what he told them, but she didn’t ask to change her house again.”

Sansa looked at Robb. They both knew what Robert Baratheon had told the Slytherin students. Mya was not a muggle-born. She was a half-blood and Robert’s daughter.

Hearing Jory’s story, Jon felt glad he wasn’t sorted into Slytherin. Jon looked up at the High Table. Tormund and a short professor were drinking together. Professor Arryn and Mordane were having a serious conversation. Professor Hollard was facing away from Jon. He was talking to another professor. The professor was large with jet black hair. He was drinking heavily from his goblet. He looked past Professor Hollard, straight towards Jon. The moment Jon’s eyes met the professor’s piercing blue eyes a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Jon’s face.

“Ouch!” Jon gasped in pain clutching his face in pain.

“What happened?” Robb asked.

Jon couldn’t explain what had happened. He bent over. He turned towards Robb and looked at him through his skewed glasses. 

“Nothing,” Jon said.

The pain disappeared as quickly as it appeared. He straightened up.

“Who is the professor talking to Professor Hollard?” he asked.

Robb and Jory looked towards the High Table. Rob began laughing and nudging Jory.

“That’s Professor Baratheon. No wonder Hollard is so nervous talking to him. Everyone expected him to get Hollard’s job. You see, he knows a lot about Dark Arts. During the Mad King’s reign and after that, he was one who hunted down the most White Walkers. Some of his arrests were unbelievable,” Jory said.

The desserts diapered as well. Professor Arryn stood up and cleared his throat, silencing the Hall.

“Now that we are all fed and watered, I have a few start of term notices,” he said looking at all the students.

“First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well,” he said looking at Loras and Renly.

“I have also been asked by Mr. Clegane, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their House teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death.”

Jon laughed but he noticed Jory and Robb didn’t.

“He is not serious, is he?” Jon asked looking at Jory over Robb’s head.

“He must be. He usually gives us a reason why we are not allowed to go somewhere. Everyone knows the forest is full of dangerous beasts, but he hasn’t told us, prefects, anything about the corridor being out of bounds,” Jory said still looking at the table.

“And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!” Professor Arryn declared enthusiastically.

Jon noticed Professor Mordane glaring at Professor Arryn. Some of the other professors looked uncomfortable.

Arryn flicked his wand and a long gold ribbon flew out and twisted it to form words.

“Everyone, pick your favorite tune and on three,” said Arryn tapping his wand “1…2...3”

The school bellowed:

_“Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

_Teach us something please,_

_Whether we be old and bald_

_Or young with scabby knees, _

_Our heads could do with filling _

_With some interesting stuff, _

_For now they’re bare and full of air, _

_Dead flies and bits of fluff, _

_So teach us things worth knowing, _

_Bring back what we’ve forgot, _

_Just do your best, we’ll do the rest, _

_And learn until our brains all rot.”_

Everyone finished the songs at their own time. Loras and Renly had their arms around each and were swaying singing the song in a slow funeral march. Once they finished Professor Arryn was the only teacher clapping with other students. Jon looked towards other tables. Margaery, Joffrey, and his lackeys were stubbornly sitting still in their seats at the Slytherin table. Jeyne was enthusiastically clapping with her fellow Hufflepuff. Sam was silently clapping sitting next to Sansa and Sansa was looking at Jon Arryn confused clapping slowly.

“Music. A magic beyond all we do here. And now, bedtime. Off you go!” Jon Arryn said, wiping his eyes.

Jon got up with his fellow Gryffindors and followed Jory out of the Great Hall. They climbed up the marble staircase. Jon was exhausted and dragging his legs.

“Holy shit!” Pyp exclaimed pointing at the portraits and their moving subjects waving at them.

They followed Jory up a few more staircases, behind a tapestry and through a secret entrance. Jon should have been trying to remember the route, but he was too exhausted. All of a sudden, random objects began falling over them.

“Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee”, something screamed flying over their heads.

“Peeves, a poltergeist,” Jory explained before shouting, “PEEVES!”

“PEEVES! Do you want me to get the Bloody Baron?” Jory screamed.

There was a pop and a little man appeared like a ghost. He had more things in his arms.

“Icky Firsties! I’m going to go and find others,” he cackled disappearing.

Jory sighed and began walking.

“You will want to watch out for Peeves. He is always causing trouble. The Bloody Baron is the only one he listens to.”

They came to a stop at the end of the corridor in front of a portrait. There was a fat lady wearing a poufy pink dress. She looked down at them.

“Password?” she asked.

“Caput Draconis,” he said, and the portrait swung forward.

Behind the portrait, there was a round hole. They entered through the hole one by one. The Gryffindor common room was cozy and warm. There were multiple fireplaces and sets of couches and comfortable armchairs. Jory pointed the girls through one door towards their dormitory and the boys through another door.

Jon followed Pyp and Grenn silently into their room. There were poster size beds with red velvet curtains. Someone had brought their trunks and placed it at the foot of their beds. Jon hopped in the bed and fell asleep immediately.

* * *

Jon was in his dorm room staring at the floor-length mirror in the room. He was wearing his school robes and Professor Hollard’s turban.

The Turban kept whispering, “You are a Targaryen. You don’t belong in Gryffindor. You need to be in Slytherin.”

_No. I don’t want to be in Slytherin._

The turban began tightening around his head and his scar began hurting. Jon began screaming. All of a sudden Joffrey appeared behind him over his shoulder to the left laughing at him. On the other side, Professor Baratheon appeared laughing at him.

Jon woke up with a jerk. He was sweating and his legs were entangled with his comforter. He straightened out his comforter and fell back asleep.

Next day when Jon woke up, he didn’t remember

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your comments.  
As I wrote this chapter, I realized I have put myself in a big problem by spreading my characters into the other houses and other years. There are going to be so many times I am going to regret doing this but I really wanted to integrate other houses. 
> 
> Thank you guys so much. You guys have helped me decide a lot of characters. I am open to suggestion for characters. 
> 
> Signing out...


	8. The Potions Master

Jon was lost. Again.

From the very first day, Jon had to deal with whispers and stares that followed. Fortunately for him once the novelty wore off the whispers and stares stopped. He really didn’t want people to witness him getting lost.

It wasn’t just him. Every First-Year student had a hard time navigating. All of them were at least once subjugated to Sansa Stark’s rant against the architects responsible for this labyrinth. None of them could blame her for it. There were over a hundred staircases. Some were narrow, some were wide, some were grand marble staircase, and some were dilapidated. Many of those staircases moved randomly to the shock of the student. Jon, Pyp and Grenn were walking with Sam when one of the steps disappeared and Sam’s leg got stuck. Luckily Loras and Renly behind them. They helped Sam free his leg.

It wasn’t just the staircases. The doors were no better. Some were just normal doors, but many were tricky. They needed a password or some unique action to open them. Some doors were not even doors. They were just walls.

After getting lost for the tenth time in one day Pyp came up with a plan to remember the routes, “I am going to write down distinctive features of the corridors we use to go to classes.”

That didn’t work even for a day. The most distinctive features were portraits and armors. The people in the portraits were always moving to visit other portraits and Pyp was pretty confident that the armors also moved when no one was watching.

Jon expected Robb, Theon and other students would help them out, but they were having way too much watching First Years running around trying to find their classes like headless chickens. The only ones ready to help them where few ghosts. But Peeves was worse than moving staircases and trick doors. He had a knack of finding the most frustrated and desperate First-Year student and playing pranks on them. Jon was running late for Charms when Peeves pulled the rug from under his feet causing him to slam his face on the floor. Jon was walking with Robb to the owlery planning to send a letter to Rhaego when Sam ran past them screaming with Peeves following him with firecrackers. A few First Year Slytherin students including Margaery and Joffrey were victims of a can of red paint courtesy of Peeves.

The most hated thing of the entire school unanimously was the caretaker, Sandor Clegane and his cat, Stranger. When Jon first met Clegane, he was terrified by his towering height and the burn scar that covered one side of his face. A couple of students were sympathetic towards him. But the First Years soon began hating him. Jon and Grenn were lost and trying desperately to open a door when Clegane found them and threatened to lock them up in the dungeons. He appeared from secret passages like a ghost. Sandor Clegane was always on the hunt trying to find students to punished for the smallest blunder like a hound. That’s why behind his back the students called him ‘The Hound’. Stranger was an ugly looking black cat that always looked at students with all-knowing evil yellow eyes. If she saw a student breaking a rule, she would slink away and find Clegane.

"That cat is called Stranger because you know if she spots you with a foot out of the line, you are as good as dead," Theon said laughing.

He looked at Jon and Pyp's blank faces and said, "Stranger, like the Seven, get it? My jokes are useless on you lot."

The only ones who seemed to know secret passageways better the Hound were Loras and Renly, but they used their knowledge to misdirect the First Years. 

Finally, the toughest thing about Hogwarts was the classes. Magic made a lot of things in their lives easier but unfortunately magic itself was difficult to learn. It was much more than just waving their wands and yelling Abracadabra. There were so many rules that needed to be followed. Not every class involved wands and spells.

Every Wednesday midnight the Gryffindor students would carry charts and their telescopes to the Astronomy Tower along with Hufflepuff students. They studied stars and planets, located their position and tracked their movements. Professor Varys was the Head of Hufflepuff House and seemed to know everyone’s secrets. “I don’t know how he does it. The first Astronomy class and he already knew I had snuck Scabbers into Hogwarts,” Robb said confused. 

Another class they shared with Hufflepuffs was Herbology. Three days a week they studied various plants and fungi in the greenhouses. Professor Olenna Tyrell was brilliant. Jon had never had a teacher like Professor Tyrell. She was informative with a quick wit. Jon was never bored in her classes.

The dubious honor of being the most boring Professor went to Professor Stannis Baratheon. Professor Stannis taught History of Magic. The only thing exciting about History of Magic was the fact it was taught by a ghost. Stannis Baratheon was a professor when he was alive. He died during one of the summer breaks and came back to Hogwarts on 1st of September and began teaching as if nothing had ever happened. History by itself was boring enough. Add to it Stannis’ boring droning voice and you had a formula for falling asleep instantly. It really didn’t matter that Slytherins were in his class when everyone was dozing off.

Professor Tyrell would have been Jon’s favorite teacher if it wasn’t for Professor Tyrion Lannister. He was the Head of Ravenclaw House. Professor Tyrion was distantly related to Joffrey but was kicked out of his family when he was a baby because he was born as a dwarf. He didn’t let that hold him back. He was brilliant, funny and sarcastic. He stood on top of a pile of books to see over his desk. It didn’t matter they had a hard time performing the spell, he would make sure they learned and had fun. The only thing bad about Charms was that they had the class with Ravenclaw students. Somehow a Ravenclaw student was the first to master the spell being taught.

The toughest class had to Transfiguration. It was another class Jon had with Ravenclaw students. Professor Mordane was intelligent and strict. Robb had warned them not get into any trouble with her. Even eternal pranksters Loras and Renly behaved themselves in her presence.

The very first day she had warned them, “Transfiguration is a form of complex and dangerous magic. If I catch anyone of you messing around in my class, you will be kicked out.”

Jon gulped when she glared at each student. She then turned around and flicked her wand turning the desk into a pig and back.

A ripple of excitement went through the class.

“I can’t wait to do that,” Pyp whispered to Jon and Grenn.

“Everyone take out your parchment and quills. Before we begin performing any magic, we will be taking notes,” she said.

They spent half the class taking notes on transfiguration. The class was disappointed to learn that they would not be transforming a desk into a pig but would be transforming a matchstick into a needle. Once they began trying all of them realized why they didn’t start with transfiguring a desk into a pig. No matter how hard Jon tried the matchstick wouldn’t change into a needle. By the end of the class, Sansa was the only one who had successful transfigured the matchstick into a needle earning Ravenclaw ten points.

Sansa was having a great first week. Every class was exciting. She enjoyed Astronomy. Margaery and Joffrey spent the entire class complaining about having a class at midnight but she and Shae, a fellow Ravenclaw enjoyed looking at stars and planets through their telescopes. Professor Varys kept them awake with interesting stories of his current and former students. He never revealed their name and Sansa was grateful. It would be very awkward if she ever met the kid who transfigured the buttons in his clothes into beetles instead of the transfiguring the beetle given to him into a button.

Professor Tyrell was a brilliant teacher. A lot of Ravenclaw students were skeptical of being in the same class as her granddaughter and believed Margaery would have a leg up on them but Margaery was a natural in Herbology. Not only that Professor Tyrell made sure to not show any favoritism towards anyone.

Professor Stannis was one of the most boring people she had ever met. Sansa spent the entire class passing notes with Wynafryd Manderly, Jeyne, Shae, Gilly, and Sarella Sand. The four Ravenclaw girls made sure to invite Jeyne and Gilly to the library once a week so that they could study what they missed. Sansa enjoyed history. It was like studying a storybook, but Professor Stannis somehow managed to drain all the fun from history. They made a lot of flashcards and timeline charts to remember all the information.

Sansa was very excited for Defense against Dark Arts. Her father was an Auror during the Mad Kings reign. He was one of the best fighters. But Professor Hollard was a big disappointment. She felt sad for him. She kept bumbling and was extremely nervous. His entire classroom smelt strongly like garlic. Theon had spread a rumor that Professor Hollard was worried about vampires hunting him down. He would often start telling stories of his adventures like how he was gifted his turban by a Prince as a thank you for getting rid of zombies but when Pyp asked for more details he changed the topic. Sansa had to often stop herself from bending away from him when he walked by her. His turban often smelt weird.

“Hey, Sansa!” Margaery waved her over form the Slytherin table.

Margaery was sitting next to Joffrey and her Slytherin friends. Sansa walked towards them.

“Do you have any classes on Tuesday at 3 PM?” Margaery asked her.

“I don’t think so. Why?” Sansa asked.

“Andals club are signing up new members. We are planning to go and sign up. You can join us,” Margaery explained happily.

“I am already planning to join four clubs. I don’t think I can handle another one,” Sansa tried to explain.

“Four? Which clubs are you joining?” Joffrey asked.

“Dueling club, Debate club, Designing club, and First Men club,” Sansa said.

“Does First Men club even matter? No one cares about them or their Old Gods. It would be better if you join the Andals. I saw you in Sept of Baloer last year to celebrate Festival of the Mother,” Joffrey said rudely.

Sansa sniffed and straightened her back.

She looked down at Joffrey and said, “I don’t just pray to the Seven. I pray to the Old Gods as well. My mother has already thought me all that there is know about Andal culture and the Seven, so I won’t learn anything new. Everyone wants to join the Andals club. I would rather join the First Men club and learn more about a culture that most people don’t know about and actually learn something new.”

Sansa flipped her hair and walked away. Margaery ran after her.

“Sansa, stop,” she said trying to catch up with Sansa and her long legs.

She managed to grab Sansa’s hand and pull her to a stop.

“Grandma warned you. She said what Lannisters and other wizards thought about your family,” Margaery tried to explain.

“Yes. Your grandmother warned me about the judgmental Great Houses and their prejudice towards my family. But that doesn’t mean I will listen to someone insult my culture and religion,” Sansa replied angrily.

She couldn’t believe Margaery was defending Joffrey.

“I’m sorry. Joffrey didn’t know. He won’t talk about it again. Can we just go and have dinner?” Margaery asked with a sad expression on her face.

Sansa looked at Margaery and she softened. She knew Margaery really meant that she was sorry. Sansa could never tell no to Margaery, but she was still upset.

She sighed, “I will go back with you to the Great Hall, but I am going to have dinner at the Ravenclaw table.”

Sansa and Margaery hugged and each other and walked to the Great Hall together.

* * *

Jon was half asleep at the Gryffindor table having breakfast. He was glad it was Friday. He was exhausted and tired trying to learn so many new things but at least he was not the only one. A lot of the muggle-borns were on the same boat as him. Grenn and other kids born in wizarding families were also struggling.

Pyp was sitting next to him dozing off on the table. Jon spotted Theon walking sneakily. Before Jon could warn Pyp, Robb covered his mouth and pulled him back. Theon stood behind Pyp and smacked his head.

“Ahhhh!” Pyp screamed waking up.

He tried to hit Theon, but he danced out of his reach back to the Slytherin table.

“He is not worth me getting up,” Pyp grumbled.

Jon, Grenn, and Robb laughed at Pyp’s sour face.

“What class do you have today?” Robb asked.

“Double Potions with the Slytherins,” Grenn groaned.

“With Slytherin! Good luck. It is going to suck,” Robb looking at the three of them with pity.

“We already had History of Magic with Slytherins. It wasn’t so bad,” Grenn said with a shrug. He didn’t really care about the Slytherins. They hadn’t given him any trouble.

“That is because Stannis Baratheon is the most boring and by the books person you will ever meet. His brother on the other hand,” Robb sighed.

“Professor Robert Baratheon is the Head of Slytherin House, and he favors them. He can be an ass. I can’t believe he used to be Dad’s best friend. Renly is his cousin and he deducted points just because he accidentally bumped into him,” Robb explained.

Jon raised his eyebrows at that. Professor Varys was the Head of Hufflepuff, and he didn’t favor them.

“It is not our fault that the Head of our House doesn’t teach a core subject. What does Professor Luwin even teach?” Grenn asked.

“Study of Ancient Runes. He is pretty strict so I don’t think he would favor us.” Robb said with a laugh. 

All of a sudden hundreds of owls entered the Great Hall. Jon jumped in his seat clutching his heart. This was the fifth time Jon had witnessed mail being delivered by owl in the morning, but it surprised him every single time. Robb’s ancient owl dropped the newspaper on Pyp’s head.

“This is the second time your stupid owl has done that,” Pyp grumbled rubbing his head where the newspaper had hit him.

“Sorry about that. Ice is ancient. He was Uncle Benjen’s when he was in Hogwarts. Mum was very adamant about not buy a new owl for me when we already have one extra owl. Something about teaching us ungrateful brats a lesson about the value of money,” Robb said rolling his eyes.

Jon knew that Robb’s family unlike Theon’s were extremely rich, but the Starks were not the type to show off their wealth. Robb’s owl was his uncle’s old owl. Sansa’s textbooks were Robb’s from last year. But both Sansa and Robb had their own owls. Not like Joffrey and his white peacock feather quill.

Ghost flew in and dropped a letter in front of Jon. Jon wasn’t expecting a letter. Rhaego had sent him a letter yesterday and Jon was planning to send a letter next week. He didn’t want Ghost delivering a letter on a weekend when Uncle Drogo was at home. Jon opened the letter as Ghost perched on his shoulder.

_Dear Jon, _

_I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three? I want to hear all about your first week. If you wish, bring your friends along with you. Send us an answer back with Ghost. _

_Tormund_

Jon dug out a quill from his bag.

“Tormund has invited me to visit him at 3. Do you guys want to come?” Jon asked.

“Can’t,” Grenn replied with a mouthful of toast.

Grenn swallowed and continued, “Pyp and I are going for the second sign up session for the Andals club. The session on Tuesday was too crowded. After that, we are meeting Sam in the library. He is that Ravenclaw kid with the lost toad. We are planning on catching up with History of Magic because none of us remember what even was taught in the first week”.

When Jon first heard about the different clubs in Hogwarts, he was so confused with which clubs to joins. Luckily Professor Martell sent every student a list of recommendations. Jon was recommended Andals, Valyrian, Dueling, and Quidditch club. Jon had decided that four clubs would be too much and planned on joining Andals, Valyrian, and Dueling club. Unfortunately, more than three fourth of the new students planned on joining Andals club. Jon would prefer meeting up with Tormund over standing in a line for an hour.

Jon turned towards Robb.

“Sure. Theon is planning to spend his evening sucking up to Ramsay Bolton. He is the Slytherin Quidditch captain,” Robb said with a grin.

Robb and Theon were hoping to join their House Quidditch teams. Robb was confident that he would get in with his abilities. Theon, on the other hand, kept complaining about Bolton.

Yesterday Theon had complained about Bolton, “The only reason Rolph Spicer is the seeker is that he is one of Ramsay’s friend. I am a better seeker than he is, but I know if I want to be in the team I need to try for other positions.”

Jon wrote down a reply telling Tormund Robb and he will be visiting him. He could barely eat anything for breakfast. He had just connected that the potions professor was the same professor from the start of term banquet. The look that the professor had given him made him feel like he did not like him. Jory had mentioned he was known for hunting down White Walkers, his grandfather’s followers.

_Maybe he dislikes me because I am a Targaryen. All I have to do it prove it to him that I am nothing like my grandfather and father._

* * *

Potions classes took place in the dungeons. It was cold, damp and creepy. The Hounds threats to lock him up in the dungeons felt more terrifying. Professor Baratheon’s class was especially creepy with numerous jars lining up on the shelves against the walls. Some had unknown liquids while others had unknown preserved animals. On one of the walls, there was a huge hammer displayed.

He began the class with a roll call. He called out names in a lazy voice.

“Jon Snow-Targaryen. Our new celebrity.”

Jon kept staring straight ahead, not wanting anyone to see his embarrassment. Joffrey and his fellow Slytherin students snickered at him. Professor Baratheon blue eyes would harden whenever it passed over him. Once he finished taking roll calls, he stood up towering over all the students.

“You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don’t expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses. I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death — if you aren’t as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach.”

There was pin-drop silence in the room. No one dared to make a sound. Jon turned towards Pyp and Grenn with wide eyes.

“Targaryen!” Professor Baratheon snapped.

Jon sat upright in shock.

“What would I get if I added the powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?” he asked.

_Add the powdered root of what to a what! _Jon thought.

He looked around the classroom. His fellow Gryffindors were looking at him with shock and confusion. He could see Joffrey and his lackeys smirking at him.

“I don’t know, sir,” Jon said.

“Fame clearly isn’t everything. Didn’t even teach you to stand up when answering a professor’s questions,” he said gruffly.

“Targaryen, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?”

Jon stood up. He didn’t know what a bezoar was. He could hear Joffrey, Trant, and Blount trying to control their laughter.

“I don’t know, sir,” Jon replied looking at his desk.

“I see you didn’t feel the need to open your books before coming to Hogwarts.” 

Jon looked up at Professor Robert. He was smirking at him. He looked like he was enjoying embarrassing Jon. Jon controlled himself. He wanted to scream. Obviously, he had opened his books but that didn’t mean he remembered everything he read.

_If I could learn all of this by just reading my books why are you needed, _Jon thought viciously but he kept his mouth shut. 

“What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?” Professor Baratheon asked grinning.

“I don’t know. I don’t think anyone in this room except for you knows the answer,” Jon said quietly.

Professor Robert looked at the other students expecting at least one of them to answer his question. No one raised their hand. Jon smirked knowing he was right. Professor Robert glared at Jon.

“Sit down Targaryen. For your information, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren’t you all copying that down? One point for every unanswered question from Gryffindor for Targaryen’s incompetence.”

All of them dug into their bags trying to find parchment paper and quills. Things went downhill from there. They were put into pairs. Jon was paired up with a fellow Gryffindor student, Qhorin Halfhand. They were supposed to brew a simple potion to cure boils. Jon thought it would be easy. They had instructions and all they had to do was follow them. Professor Baratheon walked around observing and criticizing what they were doing. He didn’t like how Jon crushed the snake fangs. He smacked Grenn for weighing the wrong amount of dried nettles. The only one spared from any criticism was Joffrey. In fact, Professor Baratheon was impressed by his potion.

By the end of the class, Jon was miserable. Jon was sulking as they walked out of the dungeons.

“Don’t worry about it,” Pyp said wrapping his arms around Jon’s shoulder. “Loran and Renly warned me about Professor Baratheon. He is an ass. He is always taking points off them. At least we didn’t do as bad as Sam.”

“What happened to Sam?” Jon asked.

“You haven’t heard? Grenn and I will walk with you to the Great Hall. That’s where you are going to meet Robb, right?”

* * *

Sam was nervous before entering the dungeons for his Potion lessons. He wasn’t having a good week. While all his other fellow Ravenclaws were flourishing in different classes, he was repeatedly making mistakes. He tried so hard, but he kept failing. He couldn’t make any friends in Ravenclaw House because no one wanted to be friends with a walking disaster. The only people friendly to him were Pyp, Grenn, Jon, Robb, and Theon but they were in different houses.

Once the roll call was done Professor Baratheon stood in front of the class staring at the students.

“I am going to ask three questions. For each question, you will earn a point. What would I get if I added the powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?”

A few students raised their hands. One student from Hufflepuff and four from Ravenclaw including Sansa.

“Ms. Sand,” Professor Baratheon pointed at Sarella.

“Draught of Living Death.”

“Correct. Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?”

Sam knew the answer was from the stomach of a goat, but he was nervous and didn’t raise his hand. He had known the answer for the previous question as well, but Professor Baratheon terrified him. There were more students with their hands raised. Professor Baratheon pointed at a Hufflepuff student who answered it correctly.

“What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?”

Sam tried to remember what he knew about wolfsbane.

_I thought that they were the same plant_. _What is the difference?_

The only person who raised their hand was Sansa.

“Ms. Stark,” Professor Baratheon said looking at Sansa.

“There is no difference. They are both names of the same plant,” Sansa said confidently.

“You are right Ms. Stark,” Professor Baratheon said giving her a smile.

He instructed them to pair up and brew a cure for simple boils. Sam paired up with a fellow Ravenclaw student Waymar Royce. They were trying to follow the instructions as closely as possible. Professor Baratheon was walking around inspecting everyone’s cauldrons. He was at Sansa and Sarella’s desk.

“Good,” he remarked walking to Sam and Waymar’s desk.

He looked down into their cauldron and sniffed walking away. Sam started sweating and was very nervous as he performed the next step. Suddenly his cauldron began hissing and smoke of acid green color began rising from the cauldron.

“Oh shit!” Waymar exclaimed backing off from the cauldron.

The cauldron began melting. The moment the potion hit the desk there was a small explosion. Sam knew he should move away but his legs weren’t moving even though his brain kept telling him to move.

_Move! Move your fat ass!_ he could hear his grandfather’s voice.

The potion drenched him, and he was in so much pain. His whole body felt like it was on fire. He raised his hand and saw it was covered in large red boils. He could hear someone screaming.

“Idiot boy!” he heard Professor Baratheon scream at him.

Professor Baratheon waved his wand and the potion disappeared, “Idiot, you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire. Three points off Ravenclaw. Someone take him to the hospital wing.”

Sam was whimpering in pain.

“Sam, come on,” he heard Sansa whisper.

She grabbed hold of his sleeve and pulled him along. They walked to the hospital wing. The only sound was Sam’s whimpering. Sansa knocked on a door and opened it.

“Madam Pomfrey, we had an accident in potions class,” Sansa said to a kind middle-aged lady.

“Oh! Poor boy come here. Ms. Stark, you can go back to your classroom,” she said pulling Sam gently towards one of the beds.

“Bye Sam! Your bag in on the bed next to you. I will see you in the common room,” Sansa said waving him goodbye.

“Here take this. You should be able to return to your common room in thirty minutes,” Madam Pomfrey said handing him a bright blue potion.

The potion smelt pleasant but as he drank it, it became difficult to swallow. Sam forcefully gulped it down. For the next thirty minutes, he laid down on the bed watching the boils lessen and disappear. Thirty minutes later Sam entered the common room. The moment he entered the room there was complete silence. He slumped and walked towards the armchair in the corner. He opened his Herbology textbook and tried to study. He tried to read but he couldn’t concentrate. All he could hear was the whispers going around.

“How the hell is he Dickon’s brother?”

“He lost us three points today.”

“I can’t believe the Sorting Hat put him in Ravenclaw.”

“He is useless”

“Hey, Sam! Do you want to do the Herbology assignment together in the library?” he heard someone ask.

Sam lifted his head up in shock. Sansa Stark was standing in front of him with a bag. He looked at her silently not believing that she was talking to him. Sansa raised her eyebrows looking at him.

“Sure,” he said packing his bag and following her out.

Sam wondered why she was talking to him. They walked towards the library together.

“If you want, I can help you with classes,” Sansa said looking at him.

“Why?” Sam asked looking at her suspiciously.

Sansa was well-liked by everyone in Ravenclaw why would she want to be associated with him?

“The Sorting Hat is never wrong. You are in Ravenclaw for a reason. I figured out helping someone else learn will help me as well. Plus, I don’t remember but I spoke to your brother the other day and he mentioned about Robb and me hanging out with both of you when we were babies. Turns out our parents used to be friends,” Sansa said rambling nervously.

Sam didn’t know if Sansa was telling the truth or was only helping him because she pitied him. But she seemed so sincere rambling.

“Okay. I would be glad if you helped me out.”

* * *

It was almost three when Robb and Jon hurried out of the castle towards Tormund’s small wooden house.

“You can send Oberyn a message about wanting to join the Andals club any time before the first meeting,” Robb said when Jon mentioned wanting to join the club but missing their sign-up session. The house was located close to the Forbidden Forest.

Jon knocked on the door. Jon and Robb could hear a dog barking inside and hurried heavy footstep. The door opened. Tormund’s head popped out.

“Give me a second Jon and Jon’s friend,” he said hurriedly.

He closed the door.

“Down Fang! Down”

The door opened again. Tormund was standing trying his best to control a giant black Great Dane. Jon and Robb entered Tormund’s house. The only word Jon could think to describe the house would be rustic. The house mainly consisted of one single room. There were two other doors, but Jon didn’t know where it led to. The kitchen, bedroom and living room was a single room. There were pans and utensils stored in one corner on shelves and hanging down the ceiling. In another corner, there was a massive bed. Jon and Robb sat down on a lumpy old floral couch. The moment they sat down, Fang came rushing towards them licking them and begging for pats and scratches.

“Welcome to my home,” Tormund said spreading his arms wide open.

“This is Robb,” Jon said.

“Stark?” Tormund asked raising an eyebrow.

Robb nodded his head.

“Knew your mum, dad, and uncles,” he sighed. “Your dad was always so serious compared to his brothers who were getting into all sorts of trouble. Benjen and Lyanna were always trying to go into the Forbidden Forest. No wonder he is working with dragons. Brandon was always a troublemaker until he met Catelyn,” he said with his eyes looking at Robb, but they were glazed over.

He sniffed, “Let me grab you guys something to eat.”

Tormund put a kettle on and grabbed three mugs. He brought them a plate of rock cakes. Jon didn’t expect them to be true to their names when he bit into him and almost broke his teeth.

They told Tormund about their first week. Jon complained about the Hound and Stranger. Tormund nodded agreeing with him.

“Clegane is an ass. He loves tormenting children. And don’t get me started on his bloody cat,” Tormund grumbled.

“The Hound isn’t even the worst. Robert Baratheon hates me,” Jon complained.

“Na, Robert is strict with all children,” Tormund tried to assure him.

“You weren’t there. He seemed to be targeting me,” Jon tried to explain.

“He has no reason to hate you. How is Benjen doing, Robb?” Tormund said not looking at Jon and changing the topic.

Robb was talking about Benjen and his work with dragons in Romania. Jon noticed a piece of paper lying on the table. Jon grabbed it. It was a clipping from the Daily Prophet:

**IRON BANK BREAK-IN LATEST**

_Investigations continue into the break-in at Iron Bank on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown. Iron Banks goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day. “But we’re not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what’s good for you,” said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this afternoon._

“Tormund! The break-in happened the same day we were there,” Jon said shocked.

Once again Tormund wouldn’t meet his eyes. He just grunted and turned around checking on the kettle. Jon read it again and noted that the vault had been emptied on the same day. Tormund had emptied a vault on the same date. There was a large possibility that both the vaults were the same vault. Whoever broke into the vault wanted what Tormund had taken out. Jon tried hard to remember what Tormund had grabbed. All he could remember was that it was a small pouch. Tormund wouldn’t look at him when he spoke about the break-in. He wouldn’t look at Jon when talking about Robert Baratheon. Why?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your response. I love reading your comments. They help me a lot with planning the next chapters. I want to add more characters in the background so if there are any characters you guys can write their names, houses and years in the comments and I'll try my best to include them. 
> 
> Signing out...


	9. The Midnight Duel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After reading @kingmaker's comment, I have decided to change Mrs. Norris to Stranger.

Jon’s hatred towards Joffrey increased every time he had to spend even a minute with him. He could easily ignore him during History of Magic but in Potions, he made Jon’s blood boil. Joffrey was good at potions, no doubt about it but he was extremely smug about it. Professor Robert Baratheon didn’t help with his obvious hatred towards Jon and clear favoritism towards Joffrey and the Slytherins.

Professor Baratheon’s booming voice would echo around the potions dungeon room as he insulted Jon’s every attempt at making potions while praising everything Joffrey did. Not just that, he was always awarding Slytherin points for doing the simplest things like finishing to write down the notes first and cutting points from Gryffindor for the most ridiculous reasons. He even cut ten points from Gryffindor just because he accidentally bumped into Pyp’s cauldron causing it to fall off the table.

Jon also had to deal with Joffrey in the Andals club.

Jon enjoyed attending most of the club meetings he had attended so far. For First Year students it was compulsory to attend each meeting unless they had a valid reason. For an older student, it was optional.

The Valyrian club had the least number of students. Jon had conflicting feelings about being in the club. While he felt glad learning more about his heritage, he wasn’t comfortable with his Targaryen bloodline. The person heading the club was Maester Aemon. He worked regularly with Madam Pomfrey but spent most of his time training Healers.

“Ever since the Doom of Valyria there has been only one family that can claim to have Valyrian blood, the Targaryens. There are very few people who are living that can claim to have strong Valyrian bloodline,” he said looking straight at Jon. 

He enjoyed learning about the Valyrian history of dragon-riding and their great kingdom. Maester Aemon made sure to teach them not only about their great deeds but also their terrible ones. He was extremely critical of their history of polygamy and marrying within the family, something that was still practiced in some pureblood families.

Jon expected to be taught how to duel in the Dueling club but in the very first session, it was made clear that they wouldn’t be practicing any magic. Instead, they were shown reenactments of the most famous duels in history and discussed different scenarios. At first many students including Jon, were disappointed with the lack of actual dueling. Joffrey threw a tantrum and quit on the first day when he came to know he wouldn’t be dueling anyone. He left with Margaery, Trant, and Blount following him. Jon decided to stay just because he didn’t want to be associated with Joffrey’s tantrum fit. In the end, it was worth it. Dueling required more than just knowing spells. They learned and discussed various strategies and mistakes to be avoided

Andals club was crowded. That was the best way Jon could describe it. Most students from wizarding families joined it and because it was the club with the most students a lot of muggle-borns joined it as well. Pyp and Grenn were also in that club. While Grenn found it to be very boring, for Pyp and Jon it was a good introduction into other aspects of the wizarding world. They mostly saw movies and learned about the Seven.

“It is a club to make connections with other students more than anything,” Theon had explained.

Dealing with Joffrey in Andals club was annoying. Joffrey was a smug ass. He was always bragging and complaining. No one dared to say anything against him because he was a Lannister. Everyone just listened to him drone on.

One thing he loved talking about was Quidditch, “My father was offered to play for Montrose Magpies but he chose to work for the Ministry. He taught me everything.”

“I have been flying since I was 5. Father built us a pitch in Casterly Rock to practice.”

“If it wasn’t for Hogwarts’ stupid policy, I would easily be playing as a Seeker for Slytherin”

“No one can beat me at finding the Snitch.”

“I am as fast as my father was.”

“Father wanted to talk to Arryn and change the rules about First Year students, but he was in Braavos.”

He would go on and on while Jon and Pyp would roll their eyes at him.

* * *

Jon had his eyes shut and was trying his best to rest after an exhausting day.

“Hey, did you see the notice?” Pyp asked crashing on the couch next to Jon.

“No,” Jon grumbled.

“We have flying lessons from Thursday. With the Slytherins,” Grenn informed Jon.

“Nooooo,” Jon groaned.

“Just what I want. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Joffrey,” he continued.

“You don’t know that. You know who clumsy I am and even I can fly around on a broomstick. Nothing in thee muggle world comes close to it,” Grenn tried to reassure Pyp and him.

“What are you guys talking about?” Robb popped out of nowhere.

“We have our first flying classes with the Slytherins on Thursday,” Grenn explained while Jon continued grumbling and Pyp looked like he was going to have a nervous breakdown.

“You guys are going to fine. It’s not that bad. You can’t be as bad as Sansa,” Robb said.

“Wait. Sansa is bad at something?” Jon asked opening his eyes and staring at Robb.

“Well, she isn’t bad bad. It’s bad by her standards. She can fly on her broom with no problem,” Robb said sheepishly as Pyp glared at him.

“But everyone else, even Rickon is faster than her. She doesn’t like flying fast because her hair gets tangled and clothes get rumpled,” Robb said rolling his eyes.

“You guys are going to be fine. Jon if you are going to be terrified, you are going to make a mess out of it because the broom knows. And Pyp, just think of Quidditch and flying as playing football,” Robb said.

Jon wanted to point out that it wasn’t a good analogy, but he kept his mouth shut.

_If it helps Pyp, who am I to put a damper on it?_ he thought.

Pyp was a huge Arsenal fan. He even had a poster of Thierry Henry pinned to one of the walls of their room. Robb and Theon kept asking him questions about football. They couldn’t understand why muggles ran after on ball. At least, Grenn was familiar with football thanks to his muggle father.

Jon and Pyp looked at each other and they knew no matter how much Robb and Grenn tried to convince them it was going to okay; Thursday’s flying class was going to be nerve-wracking.

* * *

“Oberyn sent us a letter about the flying class we missed. Professor Rodrick is going to train us with the Gryffindor and Slytherin on Thursday,” Sansa informed Sam and Wynafryd at the Great Hall.

Sansa, Wynafryd and Sam missed their first class thanks to Sam’s most recent accident in Potions class when he forgot to add crushed beetles into his potion causing to explode and drench Sam, his potions partner Sansa and Wynafryd working on the table in front of them. They were stuck in the Hospital Wing for a day.

“I don’t get why you agreed to partner with that idiot,” Margaery had asked Sansa the next day.

Sansa didn’t bother answering her. Margery would never understand why Sansa wanted to help Sam. Even Sansa didn’t understand it.

“Do we have to go?” Sam whispered.

“Yes, Sam,” Sansa said frustrated.

Sam had never been on a broomstick. While Sansa didn’t like flying on a broomstick, she couldn’t comprehend why a child born in a pureblood family would not know how to fly on a broomstick. It was especially odd considering how brilliant Dickon was at Quidditch.

“I know we can’t learn how to fly from a book but there are flying tips in Quidditch Through the Ages,” Sansa said taking the book from her bag and holding it out.

Sam went to grab the book but accidentally knocks over his goblet of orange juice. Sam leaned back trying to avoid the spilled orange juice.

“Tergeo,” Beth muttered pointing her wand towards the table cleaning it.

“Thanks,” Sam said timidly.

Beth winked at them and got back to eating her breakfast.

Owls flew into the room to deliver their mail. Sansa’s owl Jonquil dropped a copy of the Daily Prophet on her lap. An owl dropped a package on Sam’s lap.

“It’s from my grandfather,” Sam said in shock.

He opened the packaging carefully and removed a glass ball.

“Is that a…”

“It’s a Remembrall,” Sam interrupted Sansa.

“A what?” Sarella asked squished between Sansa and Shae.

“A Remembrall. Grandpa knows I keep forgetting things. It tells you if you are forgetting something by turning red,” Sam explained.

To prove Sam right, the ball suddenly turned red.

“Sam, what are you forgetting,” Wynafryd asked backing off slowly from Sam.

The last time Sam forgot something it was in the potions class where the potion had turned their hair green. Wynafryd still got teased by elder sister Wylla about it since she absolutely detested the color green. Wylla even turned her hair green to annoy Wynafryd.

“I don’t know,” Sam said looking concerned.

A hand snatched the Remembrall from Sam’s hand.

“Ohhh Sammy’s got a Remembrall,” Joffrey sneered at Sam playing with the Remembrall, throwing and catching it.

Shae and Sarella glared at Joffrey. Sansa just wanted to disappear. She was friends with Joffrey because of Margaery, but he did things that put Sansa is a difficult position like that time in Dueling club where he decided to throw a hissy fight before leaving and now, he has put her in a difficult spot again.

“What is going on here,” Professor Lannister snapped at Joffrey, glaring at him.

Joffrey glared at Professor Lannister. Professor Lannister took a threatening step forward causing Joffrey to throw the ball towards Sam and walk away. Sam barely managed to catch the Remembrall as Sansa let out a sigh of relief. Professor Lannister winked and walked away. 

Sam, Sarella, and Wynafryd continued trying to figure out what Sam had forgotten. She looked at Shae who was looking at her with concern.

_I managed to avoid it today but what about tomorrow_

* * *

At three-thirty on Thursday afternoon Jon, Pyp, Grenn, and other Gryffindor students hurried down to the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a warm pleasant day.

“It’s the perfect weather for flying. It can get annoying to fly when it’s raining especially with those glasses you have there, Jon,” Grenn said trying to hurry them to the grounds.

Grenn was very excited to fly. When they reached the grounds, the Slytherin students were already there. 

“Pyp!” Sam exclaimed hurrying towards them.

“What are you doing here?” Jon asked shocked at seeing the Ravenclaw boy.

“I missed the Ravenclaw flying class because I was in the hospital wing,” Sam explained.

Jon looked around and noticed Sansa was also there standing with the Slytherin students laughing with Margaery and their friends.

Next to them were about 20 broomsticks lined up in two rows. They had heard Robb and Theon complain about the Hogwarts’ broomsticks. The broomsticks were extremely fickle. They would randomly vibrate and stop listening to you.

A stout broad man with white hair and white whiskers walked towards them holding a broomstick.

“Why are you lollygagging here?” he barked.

“Everyone find a broom and stand next to it, NOW,” he instructed.

Jon hurried along with the other students to find a broom.

“I am Rodrick Cassel and I will be teaching you how to fly,” his voice boomed throughout the ground.

“Now, stick your wand hand out and say Up!” he instructed.

Jon stuck his hand out and shouted with everyone, “Up!”

Jon’s broom flew into his hand. He was one of the few who had succeeded along with Grenn and Joffrey. Sansa’s broom just rolled around, but it flew into her hand on her second try. Pyp glared at his broom as it refused to listen to him. It finally decided to listen to him on the seventh try. They had to wait for Sam to manage to make his broom fly to his hand. Jon was worried that Sam would never succeed. His voice was border lining hysterical.

Sam looked at all the other students. He looked at Sansa talking to Margaery and Joffrey. Next to her Wynafryd was looking at him. She silently urged him to try. Sam closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Up!” he screamed.

Sam broom flew into his hand.

“Okay, now that all students have summoned their brooms, I am now going to teach you how to mount your brooms.

Coach Cassel showed them how to mount their brooms. He walked by each student correcting each student. Jon and Grenn grinned at each other when he corrected Joffrey.

“Now, when I blow my whistle, you are going to kick off hard from the ground. Keep your brooms steady, rise a foot above and then lean forward to come back down,” he instructed glaring at each student.

“On my whistle,” he said putting his whistle between his lips.

“3”

“2”

Before the coach to count to one, Sam kicked off the ground. Sam was nervous and he accidentally kicked off the ground. He didn’t rise gently as the coach instructed them to. He shot up straight. He was rising quickly from ten feet to twenty. Jon barely got a glimpse of Sam’s pale white horrified face before he let out a scream and slid off the broom. Jon could here a couple of people screaming as Sam fell. He crashed on the ground. Jon heard something snap. He tried to look at his face, but he was blocked by Coach Cassel running towards Sam.

“Broken wrist. Come on boy. You are going to be okay,” he tried to assure Sam.

He turned towards the other students, “None of you are moving from your places. I am going to take him to the hospital wing. I have a find anyone of you on your brooms, you will be out of Hogwarts before you can say Quidditch.”

Coach Cassel helped Sam walk towards the hospital wing. Once they were out of sight Joffrey and his fellow Slytherins began laughing.

“Did you see the pig’s face?” Joffrey laughed.

“Shut up, Lannister,” Wynafryd said glaring at them.

“Never thought you were into fat crying babies, Wyna,” Joffrey snapped back.

“Look, this fell from his pocket,” Joffrey grabbed a round glass ball from the ground.

Jon had seen Sam holding it during morning breakfast. He had called it a Remembrall.

“Give that here, Joffrey,” Jon said glaring at Joffrey.

Instead of handing it over he smirked, “I think I’ll leave it somewhere for Sammy to find it. How about on top of a tree?”

“Give it here!” Jon screamed as Joffrey climbed on his broomstick and took off.

Joffrey was good. There was no doubt about it. He was hovering over the trees surrounding the grounds. Jon grabbed his broom. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins. He felt rage, he had never felt before. Not even towards Uncle Drogo and he kicked off the ground.

“Jon!” he heard someone scream.

He turned around to see Sansa looking at them horrified along with Grenn and Pyp. Jon could feel the wind whipping around him as he flew higher and higher. He had never felt such exhilaration before. He stopped when he was on the same height as Joffrey.

“Give it here or I’ll knock you off your broom,” he said angrily.

“Come and get it Targaryen,” said Joffrey looking smug with a hint of nervousness.

Jon leaned forward shooting towards Joffrey. Joffrey barely managed to dodge him.

“You think you are good, huh? Try and catch this,” Joffrey screamed throwing the ball high up across the grounds.

Jon watched as the ball rose high and began falling. He leaned forward and dived after the ball. The wind was pulling his hair back as he increased his speed. The rim of his glasses was painfully cutting the bridge of his nose. Jon kept an eye on the ball and tried to ignore the ground nearing towards him. He stretched his arm out and grabbed the ball a foot off the ground and pulled the broomstick handle so that he gently landed on the grass.

Jon stared at the Remembrall in his hand. He couldn’t believe that he managed to catch it. He looked towards the other students. Slytherins and the two Ravenclaws were looking at him in shock. Grenn and Pyp were grinning at him before their eyes widened.

“JON SNOW TARGARYEN!”

Jon spun around to see Maester Luwin storming towards him. Jon got off the broom terrified.

“Never in my entire career at Hogwarts have I seen anything this reckless. How dare you? You could have broken your neck,” his voice boomed as he glared at Jon.

“It wasn’t his fault, Professor.”

“It was Lannister.”

“Quiet,” Maester Luwin snapped at them.

“Mr. Snow. Follow me,” he instructed marching back towards Hogwarts.

Jon followed him. He looked over his shoulders to see a smug look on the faces of Joffrey, Margaery and their Slytherin friends. His Gryffindor classmates looked concerned and worried. Weirdly, even Sansa and Wynafryd looked at him with concern.

Jon followed Maester Luwin silently. He knew was going to be expelled. He wanted to defend himself but who would believe him over Lannister. Jon was terrified of going back and living with his uncle and aunt. Rhaego would be so disappointed with him. He could imagine Uncle Drogo’s face with the same expression matching Joffrey’s smug expression. Maybe he could become a wildling like Tormund. But he really wanted to learn more magic and be a wizard, like Robb, Theon, Grenn, and Pyp.

Professor Luwin knocked on a classroom door. That’s when Jon snapped back his attention and realized they weren’t in an office but standing out of a classroom.

“Professor Baratheon, may I borrow Dickon for a moment?” Maester Luwin asked.

Jon was confused.

_Why does he need Sam’s brother?_

Dickon followed Professor Luwin out of the classroom. He was a handsome fifth-year student. He looked nothing like Sam. He looked at Jon completely confused at what was happening.

“Follow me,” Professor Luwin said walking down the corridor into an empty classroom.

Dickon and Jon followed him into the classroom. Maester Luwin slammed the door shut and looked at the two boys.

“Tarly, this is Jon Snow. Jon, this is Dickon Tarly. Tarly, I have found you a Seeker”

Dickon suddenly looked very excited.

“Are you serious, Professor?”

Jon was still confused.

_A Seeker?_

“Absolutely, the boy is a natural. I have never seen anything like that before. Was it your first time on a broom, Snow?” Maester Luwin asked looking at Jon.

Jon nodded his head, still very confused at what was happening. Maester Luwin grabbed the Remembrall from Jon’s hands and threw it towards Dickon.

“He caught that thing after a fifty-foot dive and landed perfectly. Even Obara Sand couldn’t have done it.”

Dickon was grinning wide. He looked at Jon as if Jon had declared that Christmas was coming early.

“Ever seen a game of Quidditch,” Dickon asked him.

“Dickon is the Quidditch captain of the Gryffindor team,” Professor Luwin explained.

Dickon was walking around Jon observing him. Jon wanted to disappear.

“He is built for a Seeker. Light and speedy. He will need a good Professor,” Dickon muttered.

“I will talk to Professor Arryn. We will need to bend the First-Year rule. I need to convince him. We need a better team than last year cause Slytherins decimated us. Robert Baratheon wouldn’t stop bragging about it. He still brags about it. That smug son of-,” Professor Luwin stopped himself.

He looks at Jon sternly, “I want to hear you are training hard or I will change my mind about punishing you.”

Jon nodded his head nervously.

Professor Luwin looked at him and smiled, “Your mother would be so proud of you. She was an excellent Quidditch player. She loved flying and playing Quidditch.”

* * *

Sansa was fuming. She had just visited Sam in the hospital wing. His arm was broken in two places. Dickon wanted to stay with Sam, but he had to go to the library and work on an assignment for Defense Against Dark Arts that needed to be submitted the next day. Sam hadn’t spoken a word to either one of them he kept playing with his Remembrall.

_That stupid ball and stupid Lannister._

She was done trying to pretend she was fine with Joffrey’s behavior. She was already pissed at him after the incident at the Dueling club, but Margaery kept trying to convince her it was okay, and they needed to remain friends with the Lannister heir. But she could no longer stay silent. She was going to meet Margaery and make it clear that she was not going to be hanging out with Joffrey anymore. Sansa had entered the dungeons. She never liked the damp and dreary dungeons. She wrapped her arms around herself.

“Sansa!” Joffrey called wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

“Can you believe it we got that Targaryen bastard kicked out,” he said gleefully.

Sansa turned around to look at him a flinched back forcing him to drop his arms. She was terrified of the way his green eyes were gleefully dancing. He looked mad with joy at the idea of getting someone kicked out of school but why?

“Margaery can I talk to you alone?” Sansa asked Margaery ignoring Joffrey.

“Sure,” Margaery grabbed Sansa’s hand and they walked into another corridor.

“What happened today-” Sansa began.

“I can’t believe Jon decided to go after Joffrey like that. I told you brother shouldn’t be hanging out with Targaryens and Greyjoys,” Margaery interrupted her.

Sansa stared at Margaery for a moment in shock. She wondered how Margaery could misinterpret a situation so badly.

“Jon did nothing wrong. Joffrey was being a brat and bullying Sam,” Sansa said glaring at Margaery.

“Bullying? Sansa you are overreacting,” Margaery said brushing off Sansa’s comment.

“I am not overreacting. Joffrey knew that was Sam’s and he decided to be a brat and hide it so that Sam never finds it.” Sansa tried to explain.

“It was just a joke, Sansa,” Margaery tried to calm her down.

“No, it wasn’t. It is not a joke if only one party is laughing,” Sansa said.

“We didn’t think it would end with any serious problems,” Margaery said trying to make an excuse for Joffrey again.

“Serious Problem? A student is probably going to be expelled thanks to Joffrey’s stupidity,” Sansa said, the volume of her voice going higher.

“Sansa, I am sorry,” Margaery pleaded looking slightly terrified.

Margaery was suddenly scared. She had never seen Sansa this angry and upset with her.

_What if she stops talking to me?_ Margaery thought.

Margaery grabs hold of Sansa’s hands.

“I can’t do this anymore. I can’t pretend to alright with what Joffrey is doing,” Sansa said.

“Are you breaking our friendship?” Margaery asked tearfully.

“WHAT? NO!” Sansa said in shock.

Margaery let out a sigh of relief.

“I am not breaking our friendship. I just can’t hang out with you when Joffrey is around. I can’t stand his behavior. We can always hang out without him,” Sansa explained calmly.

“Okay. I promise we will meet without Joffrey being around us,” Margaery replied back with a smile.

Sansa smiled back.

_I hope things will get better now._

* * *

“You are kidding!”

Jon, Grenn, and Pyp were sitting opposite Robb in the Great Hall. Robb was staring at him in shock. Jon had just explained to them what had happened.

“Seeker? But the first years are never allowed. You must be the youngest House player in-“

“A century. Dickon might have mentioned it,” Jon interrupted Robb with a smirk.

“So, you will be starting training next week with us?” Robb asked.

Robb had recently joined the team as a Chaser. 

Jon nodded, “Don’t tell anyone. Dickon wants to keep it a secret.” 

Just then a pair of arms clamped down his shoulder, shaking him. Jon turned around to see it was Loras with Renly standing next to him.

“Dickon told us about you joining our team. Loras and I are Beaters,” Renly explained Loras’ enthusiastic, over the top greeting.

Loras was still shaking him, “We are going to win it. Finally, we are going to get to kick some ass. Slytherin won it last year. Before them, it was Ravenclaw back to back. Gryffindor hasn’t won it since Obara Sand played for us.”

“We got to go. Cortnay Penrose thinks he has found a new passageway out of the school. See you guys later,” Renly said.

“You know it is the one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy,” Loras said following Renly.

Jon turned back towards Robb. He couldn’t stop grinning. Robb was suddenly glaring at something over his shoulder.

“Having your last meal, Targaryen,” Joffrey said with his usual snide voice.

Jon turned around glaring at him and his usual followers, Trant and Blount.

_Does he ever go anywhere without his bodyguards?_

Jon continued glaring at him. Grenn and Pyp moved closer to Jon mirroring Trant and Blount.

“Sansa looked distraught after visiting that oaf Samwell. He doesn’t seem to be doing that well,” Joffrey commented.

Jon could hear Robb’s growl.

“You are acting all brave and might down here with your two bodyguards. Didn’t you run away like a coward when we were up in the sky alone,” Jon commented slyly.

“I can deal with you on my own any day, anytime, anywhere,” Joffrey said glaring at him.

“Tonight, Wizard’s duel. Wands only. No contact. What’s the matter? Do you even know what a wizard’s duel is? Weren’t you in that stupid Dueling club?” Joffrey asked with a sneer looking at Jon’s confused face.

“Of course, he knows. I’m his second who is yours?” Robb joined in the conversation.

Joffrey looked at Trant and Blunt and said, “Trant. At midnight we will meet in the trophy room.”

Joffrey left with Trant and Blunt following him. Once Jon made sure Joffrey was out of the hearing range he turned around.

“What do you mean by you are my second?” Jon asked Robb.

“He means that he will take over if you die,” Grenn explained glaring at Robb.

“You are our senior you are expected to stop us from making stupid decisions not encourage us,” Grenn said glaring at Robb.

“Wait, did you say die!” Pyp asked Grenn and Robb.

“Don’t worry. People only die in proper duels with real wizards. Jon and Joffrey don’t know enough magic to cause any real damage. He didn’t ask you duel because he wanted to fight you. He asked because he believed you would refuse and he could brag about it,” Robb explained.

Jon was panicking. He got hyped up and agreed to the duel, but he didn’t know any dueling spells.

“What if I wave my wand and nothing happens?” Jon said with a hint of panic in his voice. 

“Throw your wand and punch him,” Robb said with a shrug.

“Idiots,” Grenn muttered.

“You are lucky you didn’t get expelled. You didn’t even lose any points but if you get caught both of you are going to be in so much trouble. You are going to lose points or get expelled all because of your selfish egos,” Grenn said shaking his head at Jon and Robb. 

* * *

Jon and Robb had spent the entire evening trying to prepare themselves. It was going to be Robb, Pyp and him. Grenn was dead against what they were about to do. Jon and Robb were nervous about Pyp accompanying them.

“You know that Boult is going to be there with Joffrey and Trant. I’ll come with you guys so that we are even,” Pyp explained.

Jon was still worried about Grenn’s warnings. He was right. Jon had barely escaped breaking one rule and he was about to break another rule.

_What if the Hound or Stranger caught them? I will definitely get expelled._

But he could imagine Joffrey’s smug face if he didn’t meet him in the trophy room at midnight. This would be a good opportunity to hurt Joffrey’s ego. Jon wouldn’t dare to miss it.

At half-past eleven Pyp woke him up.

“Come on, let’s go!” he whispered.

Jon got up. They grabbed their wand and snuck out to the common room where they would meet Robb.

“Pssst,” they heard.

Jon and Pyp saw Robb sitting in an armchair. The common room was empty.

“Are you guys ready?” Robb whispered.

Both Jon and Pyp nodded their heads. They walked quietly towards the portrait hole. Robb was about to move the portrait when they heard someone clear their throat. The three of them jumped in shock and turned around towards the armchair near the portrait hole. All they could see was the silhouette of someone sitting on the chair. The person leaned forward to reveal Grenn’s face. 

“I can’t believe you guys are stupid enough to do this,” Grenn said glaring at them.

“Grenn!” Robb exclaimed.

“I came this close to telling Sansa everything,” Grenn said bringing his thumb and index finger close to each other in front of his face.

“You told Sansa!” Robb yelled.

“Shhh,” Pyp tried to stop Robb from yelling anymore and waking up someone else.

Theon had told them Robb’s biggest weakness was Sansa. Not that they needed him to tell them that. Anyone who spent a day with Robb would know that.

“I didn’t tell her. I came close to doing it, but she was in a hurry to go to the hospital wing and give Sam notes,” Grenn explained.

“I am coming with you guys. Someone needs to watch out for you three idiots,” Grenn said getting up from his chair.

Robb opened the door that they left the common room. Everything was silent. The only lights were the torches lit along the corridor walls. Jon was turning around a corner when he accidentally bumped into something falling down on his ass.

“Ow,” the someone, not something yelled.

“Sansa!” Robb yelled moving forward helping Sansa stand up.

“Shhhh!” both Pyp and Grenn tried to hush them as Grenn helped Jon get up.

“What are you doing here?” Robb whispered to Sansa.

“I was in the hospital wing giving Sam Herbology notes when Maester Aemon said he was free to leave if he wanted to,” Sansa whispered pointing towards Sam.

“Sam, how is your arm?” Pyp asked looking at Sam with concern.

Sam’s eyes were red and puffy. Even Jon and Grenn looked at him with concern.

“It’s fine. Madame Pomfrey repaired it in a minute,” Sam said with a small insincere smile.

“What are you guys doing out of Gryffindor Tower?” Sansa asked glaring at Robb.

Robb gulped nervously. Jon and Pyp stared at Sansa not knowing what to say.

“Umm,” Robb started trying to figure out what to say.

“Umm. What?” Sansa snapped glaring at Robb.

She turned her glare towards Grenn who kept looking at his shoes. She turned towards Jon. Jon looked into her icy blue eyes and began fiddling with the collar of his shirt. He couldn’t believe how terrifying her glare was. She turned towards Pyp.

“Lannister challenged Jon to a wizard duel in the trophy room. Robb is his second,” Pyp blurted out.

“WHAT?” Sansa screamed glaring at all four of them.

Sam cringed at the situation and hoped the Hound or Stranger didn’t hear them.

“I tried to stop them, but they will not listen,” Grenn tried explaining.

“I can’t believe it Margaery was right about you. Well, she was wrong about Joffrey but come on let’s go. There is not going to be any wizards duel, but I need to make a few things clear to all of you including Joffrey,” Sansa said glaring at all of them.

The five boys silently followed Sansa to the trophy room. She kept muttering things under her breath.

“Irresponsible”

“Idiots”

“Will loss house points”

“Don’t even care about getting expelled”

“Can’t even turn a matchstick into a needle and are planning to duel”

Jon felt rather insulted by the last one, but he knew better and kept his mouth shut walking next to Robb. Robb looked stricken and very guilty. Jon remembered the conversation they had on the train to Hogwarts about how Robb and Sansa’s relationship was becoming strained because he kept doing stupid things in front of her. This would definitely not help improve that.

They reached the third floor and entered the trophy room. The room was empty. Joffrey and his lackeys weren’t there yet. The crystal trophy cases glimmered under the moonlight. There were gold and silver cups, shields, plates and statues. Jon had his wand out, just in case.

“He is late. Maybe he chickened out,” Pyp whispered gleefully.

Suddenly there was some noise coming from outside.

“Stranger will sniff around and find them, there are lurking around somewhere hiding from me,” a gruff voice said.

“The Hound,” Sansa whispered.

All six of them looked at each other in horror. Jon signaled them to follow him. They ran out of the room as quietly as possible away from the Hounds voice. They stuck to the walls and tried to move stealthily. Sam tripped on one of the tiles. He grabbed hold of Grenn and both of them crashed into a suit of armor.

There was no possible way Clegane didn’t hear that.

“Run!” Robb said grabbing Sansa’s arm and running. They ran from one corridor to the other not bothering to look behind. Jon ran in front of Robb and Sansa. Behind them, Grenn and Pyp were dragging Sam along. They ran behind a tapestry into a hidden passageway and stopped.

“I told you,” Grenn gasped.

“I warned you guys. It was a trick.”

“We need to get back to the Gryffindor Tower,” Pyp interrupted Grenn. 

“No. Grenn is right. Joffrey tricked all of you,” Sansa said glaring at Jon.

“He was never planning to meet you and duel you. Clegane knew you were going to be there. Joffrey must have tipped him off,” she said.

Jon knew that Sansa and Grenn were probably right and was feeling like an idiot. He had not only got himself into trouble but dragged others along with him.

“We can talk about this later. We need to go back to our Houses as quickly as possible,” Robb said.

They had barely walked a few steps when something came through the door.

Peeves caught sight of them and grinned squealing with delight.

“Shut up, Peeves. Please keep quiet,” Robb begged,

“Wandering around the school at midnight. Naughty, naughty, you’ll get caughthy,” he said in a playful voice.

“Please Peeves. You don’t have to tell them we are here,” Sansa asked.

“I should tell Sandor. It is for your own good after all,” he said in a saintly voice, but his eyes had a wicked glint.

“Let’s just go,” Pyp said grabbing Grenn and Sam.

“STUDENTS OUT OF BED! STUDENTS OUT OF BED!” Peeved screamed.

They began running again. They didn’t know where they were. They just kept running down the corridor. There was a door at the end of the corridor. Jon reached first and tried to open it. He tried turning the doorknob and slamming the door, but it refused to budge open.

“This is it! We are going to get caught,” Pyp whimpered.

They could hear Hound’s footsteps coming towards them along with Peeves who was still shouting.

“Move!” Sansa screamed slamming Jon pushing him aside.

She grabbed Jon’s wand and tapped the lock whispering, “Alohomora.”

The lock clicked. Sansa grabbed the doorknob, turning it and opening the door.

“Get in!” she snarled at them.

They scrambled in and shut the door. They tried to hear what was happening outside over the sound of them panting.

“Which way did they go? Tell me NOW!” they heard Hound screaming at Peeves.

“Give me the magic word,” Peeves said in a singsong voice.

“Do not mess around. Peeves where are they?”

“Shan’t say nothing if you don’t say please,” Peeves continued singing.

“Please,” the Hound hissed reluctantly.

“NOTHING!” Peeves screamed cackling away.

They could hear Clegane cursing. They kept trying to listen for him walking away. Sam kept tugging on his sleeve. Jon jerked his arm trying to stop him from annoying him.

“He thinks this door is locked. Stop it, Sam,” Jon whispered.

“Guys,” Pyp hissed.

Jon turned around and was stunned. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“Holy moly!” Robb gasped looking at the monstrosity in horror.

It wasn’t just any corridor that they had entered. It was the forbidden corridor and now they knew why it was forbidden. Staring at them was a three-headed humungous dog. The dog was as tall as the ceiling. Its mad eyes staring at them. The three mouths were drooling with saliva dripping down. It was panting heavily growling at them.

_Now I know why the Hound didn’t bother even trying to open this door, _Jon thought.

They looked at each other and silently communicated. It was either the dog or Clegane. Even though they loved calling Clegane, the Hound, he was the safer option. Grenn opened the door and all of them ran outside. Robb slammed the door shut. Luckily for them, Clegane had already left searching for them in some other part of the castle.

“Goodbye. We are leaving before you guys get us killed or worse expelled,” Sansa said grabbing Sam and walking away.

Now that they knew where they were, it was easier finding their way back to the Gryffindor Tower.

“Where have you all been?” the fat lady asked.

“Doesn’t matter. Pig Snout!” Robb nearly screamed. 

The portrait swung open and they scrambled in. The collapsed on the nearest couch and armchair, breathing heavily.

“What were they think locking that monster in school?” Pyp asked looking at them.

“Is this some normal wizarding thing?” he asked confused.

“No! I don’t know what Arryn is thinking, keeping that thing here,” Robb snapped.

“Damn it!” he slammed his hand on the table.

“I’m going to bed,” Robb left the three first years alone in the common room.

“Did you see what it was standing on?” Grenn asked.

“The floor?” Jon replied.

Grenn smacked the back of his head.

“Hey! Sorry, I was too busy looking at the three heads ready to chomp down on us and not its feet,” Jon snapped back.

“It was standing on a trapdoor. It was clearly guarding something,” Grenn said.

The three of them sat silently still trying to catch their breath.

“We should go back to bed,” Grenn said pushing himself out of the couch.

Jon and Pyp followed him towards the spiraling staircase.

“Sansa is right we could have gotten ourselves killed,” Grenn muttered.

“No, she said we could have gotten ourselves killed or worse expelled,” Pyp said the last part in a high-pitched mocking voice that eerily sounded exactly like Sansa.

“She needs to get her priorities straight,” Jon scoffed.

They got into their bed. Jon couldn’t sleep. His mind was racing.

_That dog was guarding something. _

_Something important. _

_Jon Arryn made Tormund remove something important from the vault in the Iron Banks._

_The only place safer than the Iron Banks in Hogwarts. _

_What if the thing the dog is guarding, and the thing Tormund removed from vault seven hundred and thirteen are the same thing?_

_That’s it!_

_It has to be._

_The dog is guarding whatever Tormund removed from vault seven hundred and thirteen._

_But what was it?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your lovely comments and advice. It is really helping me a lot in writing this story.  
I was thinking about the characters and was wondering who should be Cedric Diggory? I am trying to think of characters that would kind of fit the role and can't finalize it. 
> 
> Signing out...


	10. Halloween

The next morning Jon, Grenn and Pyp woke up still exhausted from the previous night’s adventure. They dragged themselves out of their beds and somehow managed to reach the Great Hall in time for breakfast.

“Robb told me about everything that happened yesterday. I still can’t believe you didn’t include me in it,” Theon said sulking sitting on the Gryffindor table next to a half-asleep Robb Stark.

“We didn’t want to drag you into it and cause any issues with the other Slytherin students. I have already told you this,” Robb groaned.

“But still I would have liked to have an option. And what are they going to do, make me into another Mya Stone?” Theon asked rolling his eyes.

“She is the second-year muggle-born in Slytherin that Jory was talking about, right?” Pyp asked.

“Yes. The first-ever muggle-born to ever join Slytherin House,” Theon said with a hint of pride.

“Is it because Slytherins hate muggle-born?” Pyp asked.

“Not exactly. It isn’t a Slytherin thing. Few purebloods believe they are superior to muggle-borns. They believe that because they were born into it so their magic is stronger but there is no proof of their theory. They have a superiority complex. The only difference between those kinds of people in Slytherin and other houses is that Slytherins don’t feel the need to hide it. Just because they don’t show their bigotry doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist in other houses,” Theon explained.

“Didn’t Mya ask to change her house?” Grenn asked Theon.

“Yeah, she asked during the first week. It was pretty bad. Some Slytherins did not like that a muggle-born had ‘infiltrate’ their house,” Theon said using his hands to make quotation marks when he said infiltrated.

“The girls were brutal. They didn’t allow her to sleep peacefully. Her belongings started going missing. It was bad. I think Ramsay was the worst. He kept telling stories of his ancestors flaying muggle-borns and bringing his hunting dogs next year. Mya forgot about the rules Hogwarts has when it comes to pets and freaked out. That’s what made her go to Professor Mordane. She never told her what was happening just that she wanted to change her house but Professor Mordane reported to Professor Robert,” Theon explained.

“If you say that not all Slytherins believe that why didn’t anyone stand up for her,” Jon asked pissed.

“Self-preservation. No one wants to go against those guys. But things are better for Mya now. After Professor Baratheon got involved no one has dared to say anything to her. Plus, she has proved to them why she is a Slytherin. Ramsay won’t even look at her,” Theon said with a smug expression on his face.

Just then Sansa and Sam entered the Great Hall looking equally exhausted. Robb waved at them and called them over. Sansa waved back but ignored his invitation and sat with her Ravenclaw friends. Sam waved back and stumbled towards them. Robb tried to hide it but they all could see his face fall.

“Morning,” Sam greeted them way too enthusiastically.

“Morning, how pissed off is Sansa after yesterday?” Theon asked him.

“She is pretty angry at all four of you,” he said looking at the Gryffindors before continuing, “But she is even more pissed at Joffrey. So, there is that.”

Finally, Robb looked less tense. Then the moment that Jon had been eagerly waiting for arrived. Joffrey Lannister entered the Great Hall with Trant, Blount, Margaery and Alyce Graceford. Joffrey looked towards the Gryffindor table eagerly, but his eyes widened, and mouth dropped in shock seeing Robb and Jon sitting in their table. Both Jon and Robb gave smirked at him. He glared at them and walked to the Slytherin table without any future interaction.

“So, what do you think was beneath the trap door?” Pyp asked.

“What trap door?” Robb asked in shock.

“The three-headed do was standing over a trap door. We think it was guarding something important. I wonder what?” Grenn explained. 

“I think I know what it was guarding,” Jon said. Pyp, Grenn, Theon, and Robb looked towards him eagerly.

“Last night’s adventure was fun, but I really don’t want to get into more trouble. Hogwarts is difficult enough without having to deal with that monster,” Sam said before getting up from his seat and leaving.

Pyp looked at Jon and shrugged.

_Let him go._

Jon explained to them about visiting the Iron Bank with Tormund, the pouch he removed and the break-in which occurred the very same day. They started brainstorming what the thing could be but with so little clues they didn’t stand a chance.

“It is something really valuable or something really dangerous,” Pyp said.

“Or both,” Theon replied grimly.

* * *

A week later they hadn’t figured out what the three-headed dog was guarding or how to get their revenge on Joffrey. Rhaego had some interesting suggestions involving tripping him in potions class or mixing laxatives with his food but Jon knew Professor Baratheon would blame him and cut points from Gryffindor.

The owls entered the Great Hall as usual. Ice dropped a copy of the Daily Prophet of Robb’s head. Everyone was staring and pointing at a thin package being carried by six owls. To Jon’s amazement, the owls dropped the package in front of Jon on top of his plate narrowly missing his goblet. Another owl dropped a letter on top of the parcel.

“What the hell?” Jon muttered.

Robb and Pyp crowded in. Grenn and Sam looked at them curiously from the Hufflepuff table where they were sitting with two Third Year Hufflepuff students who were helping them with an assignment. One of them was tall with jet black hair and startling pale blue eyes. The other boy was thin with a narrow face and black hair. He looked very serious talking to them.

Jon opened the letter first and read it.

_DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE. _

_It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don’t want everybody knowing you’ve got a broomstick, or they’ll all want one. Dickon Tarly will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o’clock for your first training session._

_Maester Luwin._

Jon was grinning ear to ear unable to hide his joy. He gave Robb and Pyp the letter.

“Nimbus Two Thousand! I have been trying to save money to buy this for next year. Theon has always wanted one of these.” Robb whispered excitedly.

They carried the package out of the Great Hall as quickly as possible, excited to unwrap it in the common room. They had barely made it out of the Great Hall when they came face to face with Joffrey Lannister. Trant and Blount were standing next to him blocking their way. Joffrey grabbed the package from Jon’s hand.

“This is a broomstick,” Joffrey said glaring at Jon.

“First Years aren’t allowed to bring broomsticks. You are definitely going to get kicked out for this,” he said with a mixture of glee and jealousy.

“It's not just any broomstick. It is the Nimbus Two Thousand. Which broomstick did you say you had, Joff,” Robb asked pretending to think over.

“Oh right, Comet Two Sixty, isn’t it?” Robb said snapping his finger.

Robb turned to Pyp and continued, “Comets look flashy but they’re not in the same league as the Nimbus.”

Jon watched as Joffrey’s face turned red with anger and embarrassment.

“What is going on here?” Professor Tyrion asked appearing behind Joffrey.

“Targaryen’s got a broomstick, Tyrion,” Joffrey said to Professor Lannister in his annoying pretending to be innocent voice.

“It’s Professor Lannister. And yes, that is Mr. Snow’s broomstick. Professor Mordane told us about the special circumstances. What model is it Snow?” Professor Lannister asked with a twinkle in his eye.

“Nimbus Two Thousand, sir,” Jon said.

“It is thanks to Joffrey I got it,” Jon said smirking at Joffrey.

Joffrey glared at him with rage. Jon knew he wouldn’t be able to do anything in front of Professor Tyrion, so he moved forwards, shouldering him aside.

Jon, Robb, and Pyp ran to their common room and up the spiraling stairs to Jon and Pyp’s dorm room. Three pairs of hands began ripping apart the packaging.

“Wow!” the three of them whispered.

The broomstick was sleek and shiny, nothing like Hogwarts’ broomsticks. It had a mahogany handle with Nimbus 2000 written in gold lettering. The tail was long with neat, straight twigs.

“Let’s go to the grounds and take it for a spin!” Pyp said excitedly.

“We can’t. We need to be in our classes in fifteen minutes,” Grenn said standing at the doorway looking at the broomstick in awe.

“Ugh,” the three of them said in disappointment. Pyp and Robb moved towards the doorway.

Jon whispered before leaving, “I’ll see you later.”

* * *

It was after classes and Jon ran to the quidditch stadium with his broomstick. In between his classes, he ran into Dickon and informed him that he had received his broomstick. Dickon was eager to see his skills and demanded to meet him in the stadium after classes. Unfortunately, he informed Jon that it was going to be a one on one session so none of his friends were allowed.

This was his first time in the stadium. There were hundreds of seats rising around the ground. As he stepped on the grounds he wondered if this was what Rhaego felt whenever he stepped on a soccer field. The excitement, the rush, the anticipation. Instead of goalposts, there were three-fifty feet tall golden hoops on either end of the ground.

Jon was too jittery to just stand still and wait for Dickon. He mounted his broom and kicked off. He sped around the grounds flying in a circle around the ground. It was just like the first time. The adrenaline rush and the excitement. He swooped down and rose up.

“Jon!” he heard someone screaming.

He looked down to see Dickon. He had a large wooden box floating in front of him.

“I see why Maester Luwin was so excited to have you join the team. You really are a natural,” Dickon commented.

Dickon opened the box and grabbed a set of Quidditch uniform.

“Here you go. Go and change in one of the locker rooms and then I will start explaining the rules to you,” Dickon said handing him a red robe.

Jon walked to the locker rooms. He entered one of the stalls and held out the robes. They were red and gold with a Gryffindor House sigil on the left side on the chest. He turned it around and written across the back in big bold letters was the words ‘Snow-Targaryen’. Jon wore the uniform and left the locker room.

Dickon was waiting for him tapping his foot.

“Good, everything fits well?” Dickon asked.

“It fits great but…” Jon said nervously not sure if he could ask.

“But? I can try to fix any problem,” Dickon said kindly.

“I was wondering we the uniform can just say Snow instead of Snow-Targaryen,” Jon muttered.

“That can be sorted out easily. Wear these for now. I’ll get you new ones by tomorrow,” Dickon said assuring him.

Jon nodded his head.

“Now let’s get to Quidditch. There are ten players in a Hogwarts Quidditch team but at any given moment we can only have seven players on the field. Three of the players are substitutes in case of injuries or sickness. These three are usually trained in all positions. Three of the players are called Chasers,” Dickon explained.

Jon listened to him carefully. Dickon removed a red ball that looked as big as a soccer ball.

“This is called the Quaffle. The Chasers throw them to each other trying to keep it with themselves and put it through one of the hoops to score a goal. You get ten points when the Quaffle goes through the hoops,” he said.

“So, it is like basketball on broomsticks,” Jon muttered.

“What?” Dickon asked looking confused.

“Nothing. Go on,” Jon said.

“One of the players is called a Keeper. Their job is to fly in front of the hoops and stop the other team from scoring,” Dickon explained.

Jon listened to what Dickon was explaining and thought, _Quidditch isn’t like basketball. Grenn was right. Quidditch is like soccer._

Dickon handed Jon a short wooden baseball bat.

“Hold on to that. Come here,” Dickon said calling him closer towards the box.

Jon moved closer.

“These two are called Bludgers,” he said pointing at two balls.

They were slightly smaller than the Quaffle and were black in color instead of red. Unlike the Quaffle, they were strapped inside the box and looked like they were trying to escape.

“Stand back,” he warned Jon.

Jon moved back as Dickon bent down and opened the strap of one of the Bludgers. The ball rose up quickly and flew straight towards Jon. Jon panicked and instinctively raised the bat and swung it sending the Bludger flying away. The Bludger stopped and turned around flying back towards Jon. Dickon pushed him aside and dived on top of it, pinning it to the ground. The Bludger kept trying to escape Dickon’s grip. Dickon managed to wrestle the Bludger back into the box and strap it back in its place.

“The Bludgers fly around and try to knock down players. There are two Beaters on each team responsible for protecting the players from their team and knocking the Bludger towards members of the opposite team,” Dickon explained.

“Those Bludgers seem dangerous. Have they ever killed anyone?” Jon asked.

“Not a Hogwarts as far as I know. A couple of broken jaws and a number of concussions but nothing worse than that. Now you are going to play as Seeker. So, you don’t have to worry about the Quaffle or the Bludger,” Dickon said bending to grab something from the box.

Jon raised his eyebrow at Dickon saying that he need not have to worry about the Bludgers. Dickon removed a small golden ball about the same size as a golf ball. Unlike the Quaffle and Bludger, this one had tiny fluttering silver wings.

“This is the Golden Snitch. It is the most important ball. It is fast and small which makes it difficult to see and therefore difficult to catch. It is the Seeker’s job to catch the Golden Snitch. When the seeker catches it, their team gets an additional hundred and fifty points. The game doesn’t end until one of the seekers has caught the Golden Snitch. I think the record was three months. Any questions?” Dickson asked.

Jon shook his head. He was still trying to process everything. He knew he would have questions later but for now, he was ready to start practicing.

“We are not going to be practicing with this. It is already dark, and we don’t want to lose this. Let’s try practicing with golf balls,” Dickon said as he placed the Golden Snitch back in the box.

Dickon grabbed a bag of golf balls and mounted his broomsticks before kicking off the ground.

“What are you waiting for?” Dickon asked hovering over him.

Jon grabbed his broomstick and kicked off. Soon Dickon was throwing golf balls at him at different speeds and directions. It reminded him of the goalkeeping practice Rhaego would go through before he decided to play as a midfielder. Jon didn’t miss a single one.

“We definitely have a chance at the Quidditch Cup this year. Haven’t had that since Obara left Hogwarts and you seem to be as good as her already,” Dickon said grabbing his shoulder.

* * *

Before Jon knew it, almost two months had passed since he joined Hogwarts. He was busy every day between classes, clubs and Quidditch practices. He now understood why First Years weren’t allowed to play Quidditch. It was hard enough to try to adjust to life at Hogwarts without the added pressure of Quidditch. He was exhausted and at times frustrated but his life had never been better. He had friends and Hogwarts felt for like a home that Uncle Drogo’s house wasn't. The only thing he missed was Rhaego and Aunt Dany’s dogs.

On Halloween, Jon woke up to the corridors smelling of baked pumpkin. Everyone was excited for Halloween. Jon was excited to be learning a new spell in charms class. Professor Lannister said that they were ready to start making things fly. Professor Lannister paired them up. Jon was paired with Grenn. Pyp was paired with Qhorin. In the seat in front of him, Sansa and Sam were paired together. Jon didn’t understand them. Sansa didn’t seem to be the type to have patience dealing with Sam. She was still had not said a word to Jon, Pyp and Grenn but seemed to back on talking terms with Robb.

_Well, he is her brother. It was easier for her to forgive him. I wonder if she is talking to Joffrey._

“You will need to have nice movements when practicing. Swish and flick. Make sure you enunciate your words correctly. Never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said ‘s’ instead of ‘f’ and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest,” Professor Lannister said standing on top of a pile of books laughing at his own saying.

No matter how much Jon and Grenn swished and flicked, the feather wouldn’t budge from the table. They kept trying one after the other.

“Wingardium Leviosa!” Jon shouted.

The feather remained still. Didn’t move even by a millimeter. Jon signed and sat back.

“Wingardium Leviosa!” Grenn said flicking his wand.

The feather didn’t move again. Grenn looked towards Jon waiting for him to try. Jon groaned and sat straight.

“Wingardium Leviosa!”

And…nothing once again. Grenn had a determined look on his face.

“Wingardium Leviosa,” Grenn screamed swishing and flicking his wand.

Grenn exaggerated his flick and the tip of his wand accidentally touched the feather, setting it on fire.

“Shit!” Grenn yelled.

Jon panicked and grabbed his hat to put off the fire. He managed to smother it. He waved his hat to get rid of the ash before wearing it again. They no longer had a feather. Lying on top of the table was a pile of ashes. Professor Lannister looked towards them and sighed in disappointment.

“I was expecting Jon to set things on fire not you, Grenn,” he said as he waved his wand to place a new feather on top of their table.

“Wingardium Leviosa!” Sam said sitting in front of them.

He was having a hard time like Jon and Grenn.

“You are saying it wrong. It is Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the ‘gar’ nice and long,” Sansa said.

Jon looked at Grenn and rolled his eyes at Sansa’s annoying ‘I know it all’ voice. It was frustrating being in the same class with her when she aced things that he struggled with. She just needed to look at him and he would feel foolish. He couldn’t imagine what Sam went through being paired with her every time. In every class whenever a Professor would ask them to pair up, Sansa would always ask Sam to pair up with her. Sometimes Jon wondered if she did it so she could show off how much better she was than Sam.

Sam tried again and failed. Sam looked to be on the verge of crying in frustration.

“Sam, it is Wing-gar-dium Levi-osa not Win-guard-dium Levi-osa,” Sansa said.

“You do it, then, if you are so clever,” Jon snapped.

Sansa turned around and glared at Jon. One look and he was beginning to feel guilty, but he didn’t know why. Sansa turned back to the table and looked at the feather. She pulled her wand out.

Sansa swished and flicked her wand and said, “Wingardium Leviosa!”

The feather began to rise. Sansa moved her wand upwards and the feather began floating above their heads.

“Brilliant Sansa. Everyone look here, Ms. Stark is floating her feather. Ten points to Ravenclaw,” Professor Lannister praised Sansa.

Sansa turned around and looked at Jon smugly. Jon glared at her as his temper flared at her twinkling blue eyes and the smirk on her lips.

* * *

“I can’t stand her. I don’t understand how Robb and Sam deal with her. There is a reason she is friends with Joffrey,” Jon grumbled to Grenn and Pyp.

“Look at how she treats poor Sam. Only someone like her can be friends with a bully like Joffrey. How is Robb even related to someone like her?” Jon continued.

Someone bumped into Grenn and Jon and walked past them. Jon saw the red hair and knew it was Sansa. He got a glimpse of her tears and began feeling guilty. He wanted to apologize but she disappeared quickly.

“I think she heard you,” Pyp said like Jon didn’t realize what happened.

“So? I stand by what I said,” Jon said defensively.

Grenn looked at Jon disappointed with him.

_I don’t need that look. I know I am wrong,_ Jon thought.

Jon tried to find Sansa but after running into her multiple times daily, it was like she had suddenly vanished.

Jon entered the Transfiguration class hoping to see Sansa there and she had already forgotten about it. He looked towards the group of Ravenclaw students in hope of seeing her red hair. Sansa wasn’t there but Shae, Wynafryd, and Sarella were glaring at him. Jon walked past them to find a seat farthest from them even though Grenn was seating behind them.

* * *

“Shae told Wynafryd and Sarella that she was crying in the girls’ bathroom and wanted to be left alone,” Grenn told Jon and Pyp.

They were walking towards the Great Hall when Sam appeared out of nowhere and stopped them by standing in front of them. Sam looked upset but for the first time in two months, Jon saw that he was angry as well.

“What did you tell, Sansa?” he asked Jon.

“Nothing,” Jon replied trying to walk past him, but Sam blocked him.

“Did you compare her Joffrey?” Sam asked angrily.

“She was treating you like Joffrey treated you. She was rude and arrogant. She kept pairing up with you because she knew you were having a hard time and it made her look better,” Jon said angrily.

“Well, unlike you she was doing something to make sure I was not having a hard time. Do you know why she kept pairing up with me? She has been helping me out in every class. It is because of her I don’t keep losing points for Ravenclaw. I haven’t had an accident in Potion in weeks because of her. She is nothing like Joffrey. She hasn’t spoken to him since that flying class incident. She wasn’t rude or arrogant. She at least doesn’t trash talk someone behind their backs,” Sam said to Jon angrily before walking away.

Jon was shell shocked at Sam’s rant. He had misinterpreted everything that Sansa did. He was already mortified at Sansa hearing what he had said but now he was ashamed and felt horrible.

“It’s fine. When you see her next time make sure to grovel and apologize,” Grenn said rubbing his shoulder.

Grenn and Pyp knew that Jon was wrong and could see the guilt he felt. They walked into the Great Hall and got distracted by the Halloween decorations. Thousands of live bats hung on the ceiling and walls. A black cloud of bats flew across the Great Hall. They hurried and took their seats. They sat far away from Robb because Jon knew the moment, he saw him, he would begin felling more miserable. The tables had a row of carved pumpkins with candles inside them.

Jon scanned the Ravenclaw table trying to find Sansa. He didn’t spot her before food appeared on the golden dishes.

They had just begun their second course when Professor Hollard came running into the room. He looked ruffled and terrified as he ran down the hall to stand in front of Professor Arryn. When he passed Jon, he couldn’t help smell the alcohol.

“Troll in the dungeons thought you should know,” he screamed before collapsing.

There was a moment of pin-drop silence before children began screaming. There were kids getting up from their seats ready to run.

“This is going to be a stamped,” Pyp whispered.

Purple firecracker exploded from the end of Professor Arryn’s wand bringing everyone to a standstill.

“Prefects lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!” he instructed.

Jory stood tall and yelled, “Follow me! Stick together and we are going to be fine. Stay close to me. The teachers will take care of the toll. Don’t worry about it.”

Jon, Pyp and Grenn followed him with the other Gryffindor students.

“How did the troll get in?” Pyp asked them.

“I don’t know. They are supposed to be really stupid. Had to be Peeves. Have you seen Loras? He was sitting with Margaery,” Renly asked looking worried.

“He was in front with Penrose,” Grenn said. 

Renly hurried forward. Jon came to s sudden stop when he heard Renly mention Margaery.

“What is it?” Pyp asked him, looking concerned.

“Sansa, she doesn’t know,” Jon whispered.

Grenn and Pyp looked at him when they reach the same horrifying realization.

“Should we find Robb?” Grenn asked.

They should inform Sansa’s brother that she was probably in danger but that would mean Jon would have to tell him why she was in the girls’ bathroom in the first place.

“No,” Jon said firmly.

They ducked and slipped from everyone’s sight. They ran down the corridor to the girls’ bathroom. They stood in front of it and looked at each other nervously.

“Sansa?” Grenn knocked on the door.

They waited for a response but heard nothing. Grenn looked at them before turning the handle. They entered the bathroom and tried to see if anyone was in there. It was empty.

“Maybe she is safe in the Ravenclaw common room,” Pyp suggested.

“There is more girls’ bathroom in Hogwarts. I think I know where she is,” Grenn said before running out.

Jon and Pyp followed. Suddenly, Grenn came to a stop causing Jon and Pyp to bump into him. Grenn indicated them to stay quiet. That’s when Jon heard the distinctive sound of someone stumbling. They looked around the corner to see Professor Robert Baratheon staggering down the corridor before disappearing from their view.

“That was a close call,” Pyp whispered.

“What is he doing here. Shouldn’t he be with the other teachers in the dungeons?” Jon whispered.

They continued stealthily walking towards the girls’ bathroom. Jon was still thinking about Robert Baratheon.

“He was walking towards the third floor,” Jon whispered.

“Do you smell that?” Grenn asked.

Jon sniffed and he was hit with a foul stench. It smelt like musty damp old socks and a dirty public toilet. He could hear grunting and heavy dragging footsteps. At the end of the corridor, they could see a gigantic shadow lumbering towards them.

The troll turned around the corner. It was an ugly thing over twelve feet tall. Its skin was a dull grey color that looked like what he imagined a zombie’s skin would look like. It had a giant body that looked like a boulder with a disproportioned small bald head. He had disgusting trunk-like legs. The smell he was emitting made him want to puke. It was dragging behind a giant wooden club.

The troll stopped in front of an open door and looked inside. Pyp tugged on Jon’s sleeve trying to get his attention.

“What?” Jon whispered.

“Look there is key in the lock of the door,” he said pointing towards it.

The troll dragged its feet into the room. Grenn, Pyp, and Jon counted to three before running towards the door. Jon reached the door first. He slammed the door shut and locked it.

“Yes!” Pyp screamed pumping his fist in the air.

Jon and Grenn joined him celebrating and jumping around. They couldn’t believe that they had just caught a twelve feet troll.

A high petrified scream pierced through the air bringing their celebrations to a stop. They turned back towards the door and gulped.

“That’s the girls’ bathroom,” Pyp yelled.

“Sansa!” Jon and Grenn yelled.

They ran towards the door. Jon turned the key and opened the door.

“You stay here,” Grenn said Pyp.

“What? Why?” Pyp asked angrily.

“We need you outside. Keep an eye out for a teacher and bring them in. In case the troll escapes, get out of the way and follow it so that you can tell the teachers where it went,” Grenn instructed.

Pyp looked like he was going to argue but he nodded his head and stood back. Grenn and Jon ran inside pulling out their wands. Sansa was standing against the wall screaming as the troll advanced towards her. The troll slammed the sinks, breaking them.

“Distract it,” Jon screamed throwing a piece of tile towards it. The tile bounced off the troll and smashed against the wall. It came to a stop and turned around to see from where the noise came. It spotted Jon and began walking towards him.

“Shit!” Jon muttered.

Grenn ram around the troll. Sansa, Jon, and Grenn stood in a triangle with the troll in the center. Grenn couldn’t go towards Sansa because of the stalls but he knew Jon would be able to since the sinks were all broken. The only problem was the troll walking towards Jon. He picked up a tap and hit the troll. The troll didn’t seem to feel the tap, but he heard the noise the metal tap made hitting the floor. The troll turned towards Grenn and began walking towards him. Jon ran behind the troll towards Sansa.

“Come on! Let’s go!” Jon screamed at Sansa grabbing her hand and pulling him.

Jon stumbled on a broken tile and crashed into the rubble.

“Oh shit!” Sansa muttered helping him stand up.

The troll turned towards Sansa and Jon and was once again walking towards them.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” Grenn screamed.

Grenn ran towards the troll and pulled a parkour move using a half-broken sink to jump on the troll. Grenn wrapped his hands around the troll’s neck and hung behind it. In a scramble to grab hold of the troll’s neck, Grenn accidentally stuck his wand in the troll’s nose. The troll began screaming in pain. He began twisting and flailing his arms. His club hit the tiles causing more destruction. Grenn was hanging for his dear life.

“Do something!” Jon screamed at Sansa, ducking to avoid the debris.

“My wand is in my bag. You do something!” Sansa screamed.

Jon spotted Sansa’s bag lying near the door. It was too far away. He looked at his wand the troll.

_Swish and flick_

“Wingardium Leviosa!” Jon yelled.

Nothing happened.

“It is not Win-gar-dium. It is Wing-gar-dium!” Sansa screamed.

“Wingardium Leviosa!” Jon yelled again.

It worked this time. The club flew out of the troll’s hand and began rising high over the troll’s head. Jon moved his wand down, slamming the club of the troll’s head. The troll swayed in its place before falling forward. Sansa dived towards Jon moving him from the troll’s way as he slammed into the ground.

Grenn got up and swayed trying to get his balance. He bent down and pulled his wand out of the troll’s nose.

“Ew!” Sansa exclaimed in disgust.

“Is it dead?” Sansa asked horrified at the prospect of being involved in killing the troll even though the troll was about to kill them.

“I think it is just knocked out,” Grenn exclaimed wiping his wand clean on the troll’s pants.

Jon got up and helped Sansa stand up. He looked at her and her disheveled hair and was hit by a wave of guilt.

“I’m sorry,” he blurted out.

“For what?” Sansa asked still panting.

“For the things I said. It was wrong to assume things about you without even interacting with you for more than a few minutes each time we met. I was wrong,” Jon said sincerely.

“Well I have to forgive you considering you just saved my life,” Sansa said giving him a huge smile.

Jon smiled back at her in relief at being forgiven. 

* * *

Pyp was patrolling outside the door. When he heard the first scream, he was tempted to run inside, but he stayed put remembering Grenn’s plan. He saw a shadow moving and ran towards it, hoping it was a teacher. He turned around the corner to spot Professor Mordane walking quickly.

“Professor!” Pyp screamed.

Professor Mordane turned around and spotted him. She had a horrified expression on her face.

“Mr. Thomas! What are you doing here?” Professor Mordane screamed at him.

“Professor, the troll is in the girls’ bathroom,” Pyp said as fast as possible.

Professor waved her wand. A silver cat sprung from the end of her wand and disappeared.

“I have sent a message to the other Professor. They should be here soon. Mr. Thomas you need to go back to your common room,” Professor Mordane instructed Pyp calmly.

“Jon, Grenn and Sansa are in there,” Pyp screamed.

The blood drained from Professor Mordane’s face and she looked alarmed. She ran towards the girls’ bathroom. They heard a huge slamming noise and they ran faster towards the door. Professor Mordane opened the door and hurried in to see Grenn, Jon and Sansa standing over an unconscious troll. Pyp could hear other teachers entering. Pyp ran towards Grenn and hugged him in relief. Grenn hugged Pyp back swaying.

Jon and Sansa turned towards Professor Mordane. Behind her, Professor Hollard and Professor Robert appeared. Professor Hollard spotted the troll and sat down on the floor near the door in shock at seeing the troll. Professor Robert stumbled over Professor Hollard’s legs and walked to the troll. Sansa sniffed her nose in disgust when she smelt alcohol as Professor Robert bent down and pushed his hand on Sansa’s shoulder.

“Thank the Seven you are okay,” Professor Robert whispered and stumble towards the troll.

Professor Robert began examining the troll. Jon had never seen Professor Mordane look so angry, not even when Grenn accidentally set his matchstick on fire. 

“What were you thinking? You are lucky to be alive! Why aren’t you in your common rooms” she screamed.

Jon didn’t know what to say to save them from Professor Mordane’s wrath. He looked at Grenn and Pyp who looked as clueless as him.

“Septa, they were looking for me,” Sansa said stepping forward.

“I ate too many candies and wasn’t feeling well so I was in the bathroom. I heard the announcement, but I was so sick, I couldn’t move,” Sansa said sniffing with tears welling up in her eyes.

Jon stared at Sansa in shock. She was petrified and screaming a few minutes ago but even when the troll was ready to kill her, she didn’t cry and now she was hysterically crying and whimpering.

“They were looking for me because they were worried about me. Grenn stuck his wand in the troll’s nose. Jon knocked it out with its own club and Pyp found you and brought you here. If it wasn’t for them, I would be dead,” she wailed.

The three boys tried to look as nonchalant as possible.

“Ms. Stark you should have gone to the hospital wing instead. I am disappointed in you. You could have gotten yourself hurt,” she said supporting Sansa as she wobbled.

Professor Mordane looked towards the three boys.

“You are lucky to be alive. Not many First Years could have taken down a full-grown mountain troll. Five points to each of you. You may go,” she said briskly wanting to send them off to their common rooms as quickly as possible.

Grenn, Pyp, and Jon walked past them and out of the bathroom.

“We should have gotten more than five points,” Pyp grumbled.

“We are lucky to get that many points thanks to Sansa,” Grenn said.

“She did save us from getting into trouble. Well, we did save her as well,” Jon said.

“And we were the ones who locked her in there with the troll,” Grenn said looking at Jon pointedly.

_True and she wouldn’t have even been there if it wasn’t for me, _Jon thought nodding his head, agreeing with Grenn.

Professor Mordane walked past them hurriedly towards the hospital wing. She was supporting Sansa who looked weak and dragging her feet. She looked over the Professor’s shoulder and winked at them assuring them that she was alright.

Grenn, Pyp, and Jon hurried to their common room. The students were having a mini feast in the common rooms. Jon joined them and ate hurriedly still avoiding Robb. It would be better if Sansa told him what happened.

After his meal, he changed into his pajamas and laid down on his bed. As he drifted to sleep, Jon remembered Sansa’s wink towards them. That was the moment he knew Sansa and he had become friends. There are some things you can’t share without ending up liking each other and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this chapter I realized I am just using Theon as an exposition tool. I will try to add more to him. I really want to write Sansa interacting with Shae, Wynafryd, and Sarella soon.
> 
> Any suggestions on who should be in the various Quidditch teams? I have a lot of positions open.  
Gryffindor: Dickon, Loras, Renly, Robb, Jon  
Hufflepuff: Edd, Dickon  
Slytherin: Ramsay, Theon, Rolph Spicer
> 
> Signing out...


	11. I'm Back!!!!!

I had to take a huge break because of a new job and having to move across the country to a new state, being depressed because I had no friends here, finding new friends and becoming my usual self and now I'm back. I will try to upload a new chapter in a week or so. Luckily, I had a notepad with plot lines and points so it shouldn't take long for me to catch up and start pumping out new chapters.


	12. Quidditch

Jon’s day became busier as the first Quidditch match came closer. Dickon ran them ragged with additional practice. The only breaks Jon got was because Dickon couldn’t squeeze in more practice session because other teams also had to practice.

Despite Dickon’s best efforts to keep him a secret, within a week everyone in Hogwarts knew that he was the new Gryffindor seeker. He appreciated a lot of helpful advice he got from his teammates and friends. Grenn and Robb made sure that he knew everything there was to know about Quidditch. Even Sansa chipped in with a book called Quidditch Through the Ages. What annoyed Jon was the skepticism and jealousy. People commenting on how they would bring a mattress just in case, it didn’t help his nerves. Students like Joffrey were the worse with the jealousy and hatred that Jon was getting to play Quidditch despite being a First-Year student.

Jon was grateful that he and Sansa were on better terms. Without her, he wouldn’t know how he would have survived.

“I’m not going to give you my entire assignment. You are never going to learn anything if I do that and it’s unfair but I can give you the books you will need and proofread them for you,” Sansa had said one night looking at his pitiful exhausted form falling asleep in the library.

The first week of November brought with it the first snowfall of the year. Overnight Hogwarts grounds were covered in snow. Tormund could be seen running around making sure all pathways were cleared.

The week of the first Quidditch match Jon began avoiding any crowded spots. Hearing people talk about the match made him nervous and panic. Hogwarts grounds became his haven as most students tended to avoid them since it started snowing.

The day before his first Quidditch match, Jon was out in the courtyard reading Quidditch Through the Ages. Jon had learned a lot of things that wouldn’t make him a better seeker but was fun things to learn about like there were seven hundred different fouls, all the fouls were committed in a World Cup match between Iron Islands and Westerlands. Pyp was loudly and enthusiastically explaining Robb and Theon how the internet worked while Green and Sam were trying to memorize the rules of the Werewolf Code of Conduct. A jar contains warm blue flames was kept between them to keep them warm.

“Shit! Professor Baratheon is coming here. Quick, hide the Jar”, Robb whispered hurriedly.

Grenn grabbed the jar and hid it behind him and Sam. Jon turned around to see Robert Baratheon hobbling towards them favoring his right leg. His large form loomed over Jon as he stood glaring at him.

“Is that a library book Targaryen? You bought a library book out here in this snow!”, Professor Baratheon boomed.

He had a vicious glint in his eyes.

He smirked, “Five points from Gryffindor for damaging library property and I will be confiscating that.”

He snatched the book from Jon’s hand and limped away.

“Bloody hell!” Pyp exclaimed.

“The book wasn’t damaged,” Jon whispered angrily, not sure if Robert was out of the hearing range.

“I know. He is being an asshole. Well, he is always an asshole but a bit more ever since he started limping,” Grenn said staring at Professor’s Baratheon’s back.

“I hope he is in a lot of pain,” Theon said furiously

* * *

“How mad is Sansa going to be about the Professor Baratheon confiscated the book she gave me?” Jon asked Robb nervously.

“Wait…Sansa gave you that book and you got it confiscated!” Pyp screamed loud enough that everyone in the Gryffindor common room heard him.

“Shhh…”, Green tried to silence him.

“Pretty mad. You know how Sansa is about rules and books. She didn’t talk to Arya for months when she lost one of her books,” Robb said.

“Dammit! I need to go and get it from Baratheon,” Jon got up from the couch reluctantly.

Jon decided his best bet to finding Professor Baratheon would be in the staffroom rather than his office. Renly would often talk about Robert and Tyrion and the drinking sessions they would have every evening in the staffroom. He hoped Tyrion was there and would side with him as he did against Joffrey.

Jon knocked on the doors of the staffroom and stood waiting for someone to respond. Jon waited and waited but he heard nothing from the staffroom. It wasn’t even close to dinner time, so Jon had a hard time believing that the staffroom was empty. He opened the door slightly and took a peek inside.

Professor Baratheon was in the room. Jon watched him take a big swing from his mug and let out a loud disgusting burp. He had his robes hiked up. Jon looked down the see his leg covered in vicious wounds that were still bleeding. There was a pile of bloodied bandages next to his head.

“I’m a caretaker, not a fucking healer,” Jon heard someone grumble. The Hound walked toward Professor Baratheon with a bowl and a roll of bandages.

“The famous wight hunter couldn’t even- “

“How are you supposed to look at those three bloody heads at the same goddamn time? If you don’t shut your mouth, I will use Stranger as bait on my next try,” Baratheon threatened him.

_“Three Heads? Why was Professor Baratheon trying to get passed the dog? I better get out of here before I get caught.”_

Jon retreated as quietly and quickly as possible. He needed to tell others about what he had discovered.

“Why would Professor Baratheon put his life at risk?” Grenn asked confused.

“Obviously he wants whatever the dog is hiding,” Robb explained.

“He tried to get past the dog on Halloween. I am willing to bet he let the troll in as a distraction,” Jon declared.

He looked at Grenn, Pyp and even Robb look at him skeptically.

“What?” Jon asked.

“It’s just a bit unbelievable. Would Professor Baratheon really put so many kids in danger?” Pyp asked.

“Robert is a drunkard and a man-whore, but he respects Professor Arryn too much to do anything like that. He would never try to steal something Professor Arryn was protecting,” Robb said.

“It is almost midnight. Let’s go to bed. Jon, you do remember you have your first Quidditch tomorrow, don’t you?” Grenn raised his eyebrow at Jon.

“No need to remind me. I don’t think I can sleep,” Jon groaned, sliding down his chair.

“You should try. We are going to kick Theon and that Bolton bastard’s ass tomorrow,” Rob cheered.

A few stray Gryffindors cheered with Robb. Jon dragged his feet and fell on his bed. He tried to sleep but his thought kept swinging between his first Quidditch match tomorrow and Professor Baratheon.

* * *

Jon couldn’t stop his legs from shaking. He sat nervously at the Gryffindor table at the Great Hall. All the students were dressed in their house regalia. There was a lot of chattering, but Jon couldn’t pay enough attention to any of the conversations happening around him.

He looked up towards the Ravenclaw table. Sansa was sitting there with Wynafryd, Shae, and Sarella. She looked towards him and smiled at him. Jon tried to smile back and hide his nerves, but he wasn’t successful. Sansa’s smile had disappeared, and she was looking at him with concern.

“Jon you got to eat something,” Pyp said looking worried.

Jon had tried eating some plain toast hoping that he would be able to keep that down, but he was too nervous.

“Pyp is right. Quidditch makes you really hungry. Plus, you are the seeker. The other team is going to after you,” Green said.

Robb was busy stuffing himself. Robb was going to a substitute at least for the first year as a player.

“You should eat. Don’t want to fall off your broom because you hadn’t eaten,” Robb said pointing his fork at him.

By eleven Jon had managed to stuff himself with a couple of pieces of bread and eggs and he was in the dressing room with the rest of the team.

Dickon stood in front of the team. He took a deep breath.

“Guys- “

“And girls,” Ygritte, one of the chasers interrupted him.

“And girls. This is it. The big one. The one we have been waiting for,” Dickon said trying to rile them up.

“Zzzzzzzzzzz”

Dickon glared at Renly and Loras. They were slumped on the bench pretending to sleep. Loras, however, couldn’t keep a straight face and kept smirking.

“LORAS. RENLY. This is serious. This is the best team we have had for years. We are going to win this!”, Dickon yelled.

“Yeah!” the team cheered.

Jon and Robb followed Ygritte, Wylla, and Dacey. Jon’s nausea was back. He was so nervous he was going to puke.

They walked on to the grounds to loud cheering. Jon looked around the stadium. In front of him, there was a sea of red and gold. Gryffindor students wearing scarfs, hats and holding banners screaming for them. To his left and right were the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students. He could hear hissing come from behind were the Slytherin students were standing.

Coach Cassel stood in the center with Ramsay Bolton. Other Slytherins were already on their brooms. Jon mounted his broom and kicked off the ground taking his position. Dickon and Ramsay stood on either side of the Coach Cassel. Dickon and Ramsay shook hands glaring at each other and joined their teammates.

“I want a nice fair game,” his voice echoed around the stadium without him having to scream.

Coach Cassel blew the whistle and released the game balls.

“And the Quaffle is with Gryffindor. Wylla betting the Slytherin Chasers to the Quaffle. You would think that the Chaser with green hair would be in Slytherin. It started in her first year in the team when Myranda Royce decided to play a prank on her and color her hair green before her first match against Slytherin. Never did she think that her plan would backfire with Wylla owning the hairstyle and not giving two shits-”

“Eddison!” Professor Mordane interrupted Edd Tollett.

Edd Tollett was a senior Hufflepuff student. He was in the same year as Loras and Renly. Sam and Grenn met him and Domeric Bolton at one of the Andals meetings. Domeric was one of the nicest seniors they had ever met. He was always ready to help any student that asked him. Edd was his best friend. He is usually a silent shadow that always accompanies Domeric’s sunny personality, but his personality truly shines during Quidditch matches. His dry, scathing sarcastic wit can make the most boring and dull match entertaining.

“Sorry Professor. Just giving a history lesson to the younglings. It is better than anything they will ever learn in History of Magic.”

“To Ygritte. A reserve player last year. To Dacey and she is hit by a Bludger. Ramsay’s got the Quaffle and he speeds towards the post. And he is blocked by Dickon. And the rebound is stopped by excellently timed Bludger from Renly. Gryffindor is mounting on their counterattack and Ygritte scores!!!”

A deafening roar is heard from the Gryffindor stand muting the hisses from the Slytherins.

* * *

Although Green wasn’t playing, he felt so nervous for the Gryffindor team. Jon was one of his really close friends and Grenn was so nervous for him. There were so many expectations with him. The youngest Seeker in a century.

Growing up half-blood was complicated. Although he was close to his muggle relatives and friends there was always a wall between them due to the secret he was hiding. He didn’t have many wizarding friends because his mum didn’t want his father to know about the wizarding world for a long time. She never spoke about her family. His friends in Hogwarts were the first connection he had to this world other than his mum.

Grenn was standing next to Pyp. They were standing at the edge of the Gryffindor stand next to the Ravenclaw stands so that they could stand with Sam. Sansa, Shae, Wynafryd, and Sarella were standing with them cheering for Gryffindor.

“Where is Jenny?” Shae screamed over the loud noise so that they could hear her

“She is cheering for Slytherin so Wynafryd decided to ban her,” Sarella cackled.

“Why is she supporting Slytherin?” Pyp asked confused.

Instead of responding the girls burst into giggles.

_“Girls are so confusing,” _Grenn thought.

“Gilly and Jenny decided to stay in the Hufflepuff stand,” Sansa screamed.

Pyp pulled out the banner they had made to show their support. They passed on the end of the blanket to Jeor sitting a few seats away.

The match was about to start. Both Theon and Robb were substitutes for the match. Among his friends, only Jon was in the skies.

“Wohhhhh! Go, Jon!” Pyp screamed.

“Out of my way!” they heard a gruff voice from behind.

They turned around to see the red bushy-haired groundskeeper making his way towards them.

“Was going to watch from my cabin and I remembered this is Jon’s first match. Has the snitch been spotted?” he asked.

“Not yet!” Wynafryd said with her binoculars glued to her face.

“Gryffindor SCORES!!!”

Grenn turned back towards the ground. He couldn’t believe he missed the first points.

“Who scored?” he asked.

“Ygritte!” a Gryffindor student screamed back.

“Where’s Jon?” Sam asked.

Pyp moved Sam’s binoculars upwards to point at Jon flying above everyone else.

“Good move. Dickon probably told him to stay out of the furor,” Sansa explained.

Grenn just hoped that Jon wasn’t too far from the action to miss the Snitch

* * *

Jon was having a pretty quiet game. He had flown around, staying out of the way. The only exciting thing he was involved in was when he had to dodge a Bludger. Loras flew it and sent it flying towards Ramsay.

“Slytherins have possession. There goes Lancel Lannister with the Quaffle. Wait! Is that the snitch?” Edd screamed into the mic.

Jon looked towards Lancel and saw the snitch hovering near Lancel’s ear. Lancel was so shocked at seeing the Snitch that he dropped the Quaffle. But no one made a move towards it. Everyone was staring at the snitch. Jon shot towards Lancel. He could see Rolph Spicer flying towards the Snitch as well. They both were neck and neck, but Jon had a faster broom. Jon knew he could easily beat Spicer. He knew what he had to do. He tuned out everything else and just concentrated on the snitch. He could no longer see the Spicer. All he could see was the golden snitch.

Jon felt something slam on his right side. At first, he thought he was hit with a Bludger, but he turned around to see a smirking Ramsay Bolton. Coach Cassel blew his whistle. The Gryffindor stand was screaming at the coach and Ramsay. Jon could hear Robb screaming from the bench.

“That’s a FOUL!!!,” Robb was screaming.

Jon tried to balance and not fall off the broom due to the blow. He looked up to find the snitch, but it had disappeared.

“RED CARD HIM! SEND HIM OFF!” Jon could hear Pyp screaming.

Jon turned to the Gryffindor stands to see Pyp screaming and waving his fists along with other Gryffindors. Sam, Sansa, and her friends looked confused at him.

“What? Red Card?” he could see Sarella mouth.

“A disgusting piece of cheating. But that’s what we have come to expect from the Slytherin team led by Ramsay Bolton,” Edd’s voice echoed through the stadium.

“TOLLETT!”, Professor Mordane scolded.

“PENALTY TO SLYTHERIN,” Coach Cassel’s voice echoed.

The Gryffindor stands cheered drowning down the hisses coming from the Slytherin stands.

“Good call by the coach Cassel. After the obvious, blatant piece of cheating- “

“EDD!”

“should be banned at least for a season- “

“Dacey Mormont scores the penalty,” Professor Mordane announced snatching the microphone from Edd.

Jon cheered along with the other Gryffindor students.

Jon kept flying trying to find the snitch. A Bludger flew towards him thanks to Slytherin beater Alliser Throne but Jon manages to dodge it easily. Jon thought he was fine, but his broom jerked suddenly almost throwing him off. Jon managed to grab hold of the broom tightly. The broom started jerking and trying to throw him off. It was like he was riding a mechanical bull. Jon was new to Quidditch, but he knew brooms weren’t supposed to do this. He tried to get someone’s attention, but he was concentrating on staying on the broom.

* * *

“What is Jon doing? I think he is losing control of his broom. But how?” Tormund asked.

“What?” Shae asked trying to find Jon.

“There look at him. What is happening?” Pyp asked pointing at Jon holding onto his broom for his dear life.

A lot of Gryffindor began noticing Jon’s predicament and began screaming grabbing the attention of other students. Jon was rising higher and higher. His broom turned over and he was dangling upside down for a few seconds to everyone’s horror before rolling back. It kept trying to jerk him off.

“Did Ramsay do something when he hit Jon?” Wynafryd asked.

“Not possible. Ramsay is bad news, but he isn’t a dark wizard. Only dark magic can manipulate a broomstick to do that,” Tormund explained.

Grenn snatched the binoculars from Sansa’s hand. Instead of looking towards Jon, he looked towards the teacher’s stand. There he spotted what he was looking for.

“Grenn!” Sansa screamed.

Sansa was freaking out and terrified looking at Jon. Grenn snatching her binoculars meant she couldn’t see him anymore and that was even more scarier.

“Look he is doing something to the broom,” Grenn told her handing back her binoculars.

Sansa took it back and looked towards the teacher’s stand. Professor Robert Baratheon was looking at Jon like everyone else, but Sansa could see his lips moving. Sansa had known Robert Baratheon her whole life. He was their godfather. Though she heard a lot of sketchy things about him, she couldn’t believe he would try to harm a child. But she could see him clearly muttering spells.

“But why would Professor Baratheon,” she whispered.

“Look next to him,” Sarella said viciously.

Sansa looked next to him to see a handsome blond-haired man. He looked the exact opposite of Robert. Like a prince from one of the stories she loved reading. But she knew he was no prince.

_Jamie Lannister_

Sansa had heard a lot of things about Joffrey’s father. A former Wight Walker who claimed that he along with his father and wife were Imperiused by his sister to become one of the Night King’s followers. The whole world believed him when he and his wife Melara Hetherspoon gave an interview with the daily prophet, battered and bruised holding a baby his arms and her with a pregnant belly the same month the Mad King was killed. Tywin even helped the Ministry catch his daughter Cersei. But for some reason, her father never believed them. He was dead against Tywin Lannister being elected as the Minister of Magic, but the ministry was desperate to prove that they had recovered and moved on from the Dark Ages of the Night King to a bright future.

Sansa saw Jamie Lannister glance towards Robert. She saw the subtle nod they gave each other and look at Jon with more fervor. The whole stadium gasped. Sansa turned back towards Jon to see him hanging off his broom.

“What should we do?” Pyp asked.

Sansa didn’t bother responding to him.

“Keep an eye on all of them,” she said leaving her friends.

All the Gryffindor players had abandoned the match and were trying to rescue Jon. The moment one of them would go close to him and broom would dart away. Ramsay had grabbed the Quaffle and was scoring would out anyone noticing.

“Where is Sansa?” Grenn screamed.

Sansa was pushing against the crowd trying to get to the teacher’s stand. Any other time she would be embarrassed at how rude she was being. She finally reached the teacher’s stand. She pushed aside a few professors and shoulder poor Professor Hollard to reach their row of seats.

Sansa crouched low and crawled towards Professor Robert Baratheon and Jamie Lannister. She removed her wand out and whispered to light the edge of the Professor’s robes on fire.

She bolted away. She ran as quickly as she could back to the Ravenclaw stands. She could hear a commotion coming from behind. She turned around to see teachers panicking. Once she reached closer to the Ravenclaw stand she glanced toward Jon. Jon’s broom had stopped moving but Jon was struggling to climb up. Dickon and Ygritte were next to him trying to help him.

Sansa reached her friends.

“Sam, you can look. Jon is fine” Grenn said to Sam.

Sam was crying into Tormund’s jacket while Tormund was awkwardly patting his back while looking worried. Pyp had tear tracks on his cheeks. Shae and Wynafryd were holding each other. 

Sansa used her binoculars to watch what was happening in the teacher’s stand. All the teachers were standing up and trying to figure out what had happened. Jamie Lannister had managed to put out of the fire and he and Robert Baratheon were still looking at the damage caused.

“Jon is back on his broomstick. He is alright,” Sarella said.

“Wait why is he flying back to the ground?” Sansa asked.

Jon was back on the ground. He had dismounted off his broom and was on all four. He looked like he was going to puke. He began coughing and he spat out something gold. He grabbed hold of it and raised it above his head.

“I have the Snitch!” he screamed.

The game ended with a lot of shouting. Gryffindor students were celebrating while Slytherins were screaming in protest.

“He didn’t catch it. He swallowed it,” Ramsay was heard screaming hours later.

Jon hadn’t broken any rules so Edd was happy to shout that Gryffindor won by hundred and seventy points.

* * *

Jon along with Robb, Theon, Grenn, Pyp, and Sansa was in Tormund’s hut.

“It was Professor Robert Baratheon. Grenn and Sansa saw him,” Pyp said.

“He kept muttering and was looking at you. He was cursing the broom,” Grenn explained.

“Bullshit. Why would Professor Baratheon do that?” Tormund asked.

“It wasn’t just him. Jamie Lannister was next to him doing the same thing,” Sansa said.

“Jamie Lannister? Joffrey’s father?” Jon asked.

Sansa nodded her head.

Jon looked Tormund and it was clear he didn’t believe them.

“I think he knows that I know his secret. He tried to get past the three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him when he was trying to steal whatever it was protecting. Probably stealing it for the Lannisters,” Jon explained.

“Jon do you know about Fluffy?” Tormund asked in shock.

“Fluffy?” the rest of them screamed.

“He is mine. Bought him from one of those Greek wizards I meant at a pub last year. Professor Arryn borrowed him to guards the-,“ Tormund stopped himself from telling more.

“The what?” Theon asked eagerly.

“Nothing. I am telling you lot nothing,” Tormund said loudly.

“But Professor Baratheon is trying to steal it,” Robb exclaimed frustrated.

Robb too had a hard time believing it but hearing what Sansa said and knowing that Jamie Lannister was involved changed his opinion. 

“No, he isn’t. He is a Hogwarts teacher. He would never do that,” Tormund said.

“So why was he trying to kill Jon? Sansa, tell him what you saw,” Grenn asked.

“I know what I saw. Both he and Jamie Lannister were doing something. It looked like a jinx. They both were keeping constant eye contact. They glance at each other and nodded their head. They were in cahoots,” Sansa explained.

“You are wrong. I can’t believe I am defending the Minter’s son, but he would never do that. Jamie has an image to protect. And they would never work together to try and harm a student. And all of you stay out of it. Stop meddling in things that don’t concern you. Only people it concerns are Professor Arryn and Nicolas Flamel,” Tormund angrily tells them slamming his hand on the table.

“Nicolas Flamel?” Jon asked victoriously to a furious Tormund.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been difficult for me to get back into the flow of writing this story but I'm trying to get back. I kind of imagine Quidditch to be like football (soccer to all you Americans out there). I love the commentators for football. The Icelandic commentator for the Euros 2016 is my fav.

**Author's Note:**

> I am always open to suggestions with the story arc. I'm still trying to figure out which GOT character is going to be similar to which Harry Potter character so again suggestions are welcomed. And I really need some advice to improve my writing. 
> 
> Signing Out...


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